Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys

The first men to go into space were not, generally, an introspective bunch. Those who did choose artistic expression to convey their experience often chose means other than writing, such as the painters Alexei Leonov and Alan Bean. Therefore, the inclusion of USAF Col Mike Collins in the third NASA astronaut class was a fortunate happening. This witty chronicler and keen observer of his surroundings has provided us with a unique historical memento of a momentous human undertaking. Collins, though a talented test pilot, stood somewhat apart from his fellows. He hints that he did enjoy the perks, financial and otherwise (read: women) of being an American hero, but one gets the sense that he had a deeper appreciation of life than some of his more gonzo colleagues. His appreciation of art, history, and cuisine, I suspect, were rather more advanced than his other Corvette-driving flight mates. Though a keen engineer, he viewed his involvement on the historic Apollo 11 mission through a wider lens than his technically-focused, almost obsessive crew mates, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. That's a good thing, because in the centre seat of Columbia sat a man uniquely equipped to convey both the personal and historical perspectives on man's greatest journey. No other astronaut, with the possible exception of Chris Hadfield, has ever communicated the experience of space flight and the voyage's personal costs. Carrying the Fire is a warm, humorous, and comprehensive account of 1960's space flight, and a model for the honest chronicler.

This was one of the best books I have read; maybe among the top 10. I read a book a week and have for 50 years so I know a good book when I read it This one is fabulous if you're at all interested in the US's moon project in the 1960s It is written by an astronaut and he wrote it himself. There is no self-serving bravado of any kind which you might expect from such an accomplished person. But no- he writes it with humility, a touch of humor as to how the astronauts kept things light and so detailed in the NASA moon project that you feel like you're almost there with him. No other book has explained the personal experiences of such an outstanding program as this one. It is so captivating that I had a hard time pausing, and would resume reading again as soon as I could. If you want to literally hear from the man that commanded the lunar module in orbit as Neil and Buzz descended to the moon and returned to the command model in orbit, this is the best way to do it. Don't hesitate to buy this book. It will open your eyes to most of the Mercurey, Gemini and Apollo stage details you never heard about from a man who did it. He was there. He wrote it himself. One of man's most amazing achievements and this book gives you a front row seat.

Very interesting explanation of what it was like to be an Astronaut, fly Gemini and fly Apollo to the moon and back. Mike Collins concentrates on the space program and has a good way with words. Very well put and always interesting. Gene Cernan's book is good too. The other moon men, well, not so good. If you want to know about alcoholism read Buzz Aldrin. I admire Buzz Aldrin's achievements but he should have stuck to the space stuff. I recommend Collins, and Cernan.

Michael Collins nonostante sia stato membro dell'Apollo 11 è ricordato come l' "astronauta dimenticato" poiché non mise piede sulla Luna insieme ad Armstrong e Aldrin. Questa sua opera è scritta davvero bene, molto dettagliata e tecnica in alcuni punti (potrebbe annoiare), e sa mantenere vivo l'interesse nel lettore. Egli racconta tutte le fasi della sua carriera da test pilot dell' Aeronautica, l'addestramento da astronauta fino al suo ultimo incarico dopo aver prestato servizio nella NASA. Il suo racconto è realistico, umano e sa descrivere benissimo la sua esperienza anche sul piano psicologico e delle emozioni cosa che non riesce o non si trova nei libri di altri astronauti. La bellezza di "Carrying the Fire" la si può trovare nei piccoli eventi raccontati come l'incontro con i cosmonauti sovietici, le sue riflessioni sul programma spaziale, la difficoltà della vita da astronauta, il suo rapporto nei confronti degli altri colleghi, il ricovero in ospedale per un intervento chirurgico e il suo legame con Roma, città natale. Tutto ciò lo fa senza annoiare e utilizzando un umorismo sottile e divertente. In questo libro, Collins, è sia un filosofo che un ingegnere/astronauta; dà degli spunti su cui riflettere e ci fa capire l'importanza di non arrendersi mai non lasciandosi scoraggiare dalle avversità.

Se hace un poco largo, realmente la misión del Apolo 11 sólo se cubre de mitad para alante del libro. Tiene bastante de autobiografía. A pesar de ser un libro de los 70, todavía es interesante. El lenguaje de Collins es un poco rebuscado a veces. DEP.