First Man The Life of Neil A. Armstrong

by Hansen, James R.

• ISBN13: 9781476727813
• ISBN10: 1476727813
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-11-27
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary

On July 20, 1969, the world stood still to watch thirty-eight-year-old American astronaut Neil A. Armstrong become the first person to step on the surface of another heavenly body. Perhaps no words in human history became better known than those few he uttered at that historic moment. In a penetrating exploration of American hero worship, Hansen addresses the complex legacy of the First Man, as an astronaut and an individual.

Author Biography

James R. Hansen is professor of history at Auburn University. A former historian for NASA, Hansen is the author of eight books on the history of aerospace. He lives in Auburn, Alabama.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Prologue: The Launch	p. 1
An American Genesis
The Strong of Arm	p. 13
The Strong of Spirit	p. 20
Tranquility Base
First Child	p. 29
The Virtues of Smallville	p. 36
Truth in the Air	p. 43
Aeronautical Engineering 101	p. 53
Wings of Gold
Class 5-49	p. 67
Fighter Squadron 51	p. 79
Fate is the Hunter	p. 88
The Ordeal of Eagles	p. 101
The Real Right Stuff
The Research Pilot	p. 117
Above the High Desert	p. 123
At the Edge of Space	p. 141
The Worst Loss	p. 160
Higher Resolve	p. 168
I've Got a Secret	p. 199
No Man is an Island
Training Days	p. 217
In Line for Command	p. 230
Gemini VIII	p. 242
The Astronaut's Wife	p. 275
For All America	p. 292
Apollo
Out of the Ashes	p. 303
Wingless on Luna	p. 314
Amiable Strangers	p. 335
First Out	p. 360
Dialectics of a Moon Mission	p. 374
One Giant Leap
Outward Bound	p. 405
The Landing	p. 441
One Small Step	p. 476
Return to Earth	p. 529
For All Mankind	p. 564
Dark Side of the Moon
Standing Ground	p. 587
To Engineer is Human	p. 602
The Astronaut as Icon	p. 620
Into the Heartland	p. 639
Acknowledgments	p. 649
Notes	p. 655
Bibliography	p. 719
Index	p. 739
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