Amelia Earhart's Daughters: The Wild and Glorious Story of American Women Aviators from World War II to the Dawn of the Space Age

Given that the book began with women watching the 1995 Space Shuttle flight piloted by Lt. Col. Eileen Collins, I expected the book to cover the time span up to that point in as much detail as it did the rest of aviation history for females. (I guess I hadn't read the second part of the book title at that point). I almost feel like there needs to be a volume 2 to discuss women finally being selected for and participating in the astronaut program and what they experienced while in that in addition to the history of which women flew what missions and leading up to the end of the Space Shuttle missions.

That said, I found the history interesting and found myself being drawn back to reading the book time and time again when I should have show more been doing something else. These women truly were pioneers for their time and inspirations for the next generations of women in air and space. (Those interested can read more about the early women astronaut testing in "The Mercury 13".) show less

Author describes a Mercury Astronaut experimental program started in 1961 with a handful of top women aviators. They were subjected to the same rigorous medical tests given to male astronauts and performed just as well, but it was ultimately decided by Congress (thanks in part to testimony by John Glenn and Jackie Cochran) that women should not be allowed to participate in the astronaut program.