Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #391362 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

Skywalking.....Like being there!
Well, if you are into spaceflight...or not, get this asap! Tom Jones describes what it is like to go through the astonaut selection process, the politics of NASA, the camaradarie of the astronaut corps, his familys support while training and while in space etc

But the real pull of this book is his descriptions of what it's like to ride the space shuttle to orbit, view the earth from that vantage point, what the crew goes through to complete a mission and the re-entry and landing back on Earth.

Reading his description of the descent and re-entry on STS-80 made me feel I was actually there, in the cabin, experiencing all the things that the crew went through. I have read many books on spaceflight, but this description is the best of all of them. Simply brilliantly written.

And if you want to know what it feels like to Spacewalk....I can't impress on the reader of this review, that this is the book that tells you.

It has been a book I have not wanted to put down or end. It will be a book I will continue to re-read. Highly recommended.

what's it like to be an Astronaut?
Fantastic read, couldn't put it down....if you've ever wondered how an astronaut live his life, his fears, hopes disappointments and experiences, this is the book you must read.

A good and interesting insight.
It's a good book and a good read - just not a 5 Star event.

What Tom Jones does very well, is cutting straight to and sticking to the point of the book. That is his experience of training and travel on the Space Shuttle. There is very little filling outside that.

He also brilliantly describes the events of take-off, orbiting and landing. This is where the book shines.

The frustrating bit is that he isn't consistent at remembering his world is unknown to the reader. In between fascinating glimpses of his experiences, he seems to completely forget that some of the most mundane and obvious points are the most interesting. A simple example is telling the reader where he is sitting in the lower deck but not describing how this relates to the rest of the cabin. Or going to the loo. Mike Mullane does this brilliantly, with humour and genuine interest. Eating is yet another example, where Jones tells us little more than foil pouches.

Overall, the book is an interesting conversation rather than a story grabbing page turner. I was able to put it down easily but there was enough to make me want to keep picking it up.