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"On July 20, 1969, the world stood still to watch thirty-eight-year-old American astronaut Neil A. Armstrong become the first person ever 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. Upon his return to Earth, Armstrong was honored and celebrated for his monumental achievement. He was also -- as James R. Hansen reveals in this fascinating and important authorized biography -- misunderstood. Armstrong's accomplishments as an engineer, a test pilot, and an astronaut have long been a matter of record, but Hansen's unprecedented access to private documents and unpublished sources and his interviews with more than 125 subjects (including more than fifty hours with Armstrong himself) yield this first in-depth analysis of an elusive American celebrity still renowned the world over. In a riveting narrative filled with revelations, Hansen vividly re-creates Armstrong's career in flying, from his seventy-eight combat missions as a naval aviator flying over North Korea to his formative transatmospheric flights in the rocket-powered X-15 to his piloting Gemini VIII to the first-ever docking in space. These milestones made it seem, as Armstrong's mother, Viola, memorably put it, ""as if from the very moment he was born -- farther back still -- that our son was somehow destined for the Apollo 11 mission."" For a pilot who cared more about flying to the Moon than he did about walking on it, Hansen asserts, Armstrong's storied vocation exacted a dear personal toll, paid in kind by his wife and children. For the thirty-six years since the Moon landing, rumors have swirled around Armstrong concerning his dreams of space travel, his religious beliefs, and his private life. In a penetrating exploration of American hero worship, Hansen addresses the complex legacy of the First Man, as an astronaut and as an individual. In First Man, the personal, technological, epic, and iconic blend to form the portrait of a great but reluctant hero who will forever be known as history's most famous space traveler. "
Customer Reviews:
ABSOLUTELY AN HISTORICAL MUST!.......2007-10-06
WHETHER YOU LIVED THROUGH THE ERA OF THE LANDING ON THE MOON OR ARE A YOUNGER PERSON WHO HAS ONLY HEARD THAT THE USA WALKED ON THE MOON, THIS BOOK IS THE ABSOLUTE HISTORICAL AUTHORITY FOR NOW AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
IT IS FILLED WITH DETAILS AND EVENTS THAT ONLY NEIL ARMSTRONG HIMSELF COULD PROVIDE. I AM SO GRATEFUL TO DR. HANSEN TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WRITE THIS BIOGRAPHY WITH THE COOPERATION OF NEIL ARMSTRONG HIMSELF. THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BOOK OF ITS KIND!!
Extremely difficult read.......2007-08-27
I was very disappointed in the book First Man. Mr. Hansen is apparently writing to an audience which includes only pilots, engineers, or other astronauts. I found it an exceptionally difficult read, filled with pages of inane (to the lay reader) information about formulation and testing of numerous aircraft. I purchased the book in order to read a biography about a great American hero; instead, I got an in-depth lesson on engineering, flight, robotics, etc. My advice? Forget about this book if you are interested in learning about Neil Armstrong the man.
Finally.......2007-07-10
Neal Armstrong is a national hero, brave beyond compare and worthy of all the lifetime accolades he's received... save one. He has never been generous with the experiences that cost the nation over 25 billion Dollars. Even in this book it's a small part; this book is primarily a biography, not an account of the lunar landing.
I'm sorry, I just have a really hard time thinking well of this man. In my opinion it's not right to treat these accounts as belonging solely to him when we paid such a high price in Dollars... and others paid for with their lives.
Great book about a great man.......2007-05-09
Even if you think you know everything about Neil Armstrong and America's historic mission to be the first to land men on the Moon, this remarkable book by Dr. James Hansen contributes a host of fascinating new insights into not only the character of Apollo 11's enigmatic commander but also into the nature of the spacefaring enterprise itself. It is a book for all time."
One huge disappointment for man... one giant mess for reader kind..........2007-05-04
I have read article after article on Neil A. Armstrong. I have read snippets in the biographies of many other astronauts and NASA administrators. I've read news stories and seen so many documentaries that I could probably tell the story of his NASA experience better than Neil himself. This story lacked anything resembling excitement. It failed from the first page to be interesting and couldn't even interest me when talking about his great accomplishment of landing on the moon. There was no conflict. There was no interaction. There was no impressions of Neil as it relates to his fellow astronauts. There were no pieces to the puzzle of a man who remains just as mysterious on the last page as he was before the book is ever opened. Sadly, this author accomplishes only one thing... Taking an interesting character from history and making him seem about as exciting as watching paint dry.
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First Man : The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
James R. Hansen
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
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ASIN: 0743492323 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Weekly Standard, published by Thomson Gale on December 5, 2005. The length of the article is 592 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Standard Reader; James R. Hansen's life of Neil Armstrong.(First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong)(Book review)
Publication:
The Weekly Standard (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 5, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 11
Issue: 12
Page: NA
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Product Description
27 cds, 32 hours in two hard cases
Book Description
Stackpole is proud to introduce the Frontier Classics, a new series that aims to resurrect long out-of-print gems of frontier history. Antiquarian and rare book dealers have previously been the only source for these books, providing first editions for premium prices. Now, these books are available in affordable, quality paperback editions, with new historical introductions written by a leading expert in the field. Ellen McGowan Biddle was the wife of James Biddle, a U.S. Army officer who saw wide service on the frontier. "Reminiscences of a Soldier's Wife" is a collection of her articulate, astute observations about life in the Army. From Macon, Georgia, to Fort Robinson, Nebraska, Ellen McGowan Biddle followed her husband throughout his career. Throughout her "reminiscences" she relates not only the day-to-day events of her life as an Army wife, but also the excitement, uncertainty, and sacrifice of life on the frontier.
Customer Reviews:
Travels & Travails.......2007-08-15
Rather routine. Beginning with Reconstruction duty in Macon and Natchez, Biddle traces her experiences as she follows her military husband to the various posts he was assigned to: Brenham, TX; Benica Barracks, CA; the Lava Beds of N. CA (during action against the Modocs ); Ft. Lyon, CO; various spots in AZ; Ft. Myers, VA; and finally Ft. Robinson, NE. What Ms. Biddle observes and notes are fairly common things: the hard travel from place to place, the lack of scenery in the West, social events at the forts, her illnesses, etc. Some of her stories are mildly humorous, but basically she's a straight-laced teller of events.
An engaging and personal memoir.......2002-12-08
Written by Ellen McGowan Biddle, the wife of U.S. Army officer James Biddle who served on the American frontier during the late 1800's, Reminiscences Of A Soldier's Wife is an engaging and personal memoir which describes the humble day to day events and the tension of life on the American western frontier. A powerful and captivating primary source Reminisces of A Solider's Wife offers the reader a kind of historical snapshot of just what it was like to live in the frontier military encampments and forts from Macon, Georgia, to Fort Robinson, Nebraska near the turn of the century. Enhanced for the modern reader with a new introduction by Peter Cozzens, Reminiscences Of A Soldier's Wife is part of the outstanding Stackpole Books "Frontier Classics" series and a highly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as academic, and community library American History reference collections.
Customer Reviews:
Hilariously worshipful & unobjective in every sense.......2004-04-06
If any historical researcher needed an example of a primary source that is manifestly unreliable, then he/she could cite this memoir, which cannot be trusted in any sense.
If the reader is not familiar with the career of "Black Jack" Logan, one would quickly assume from Mrs. General Logan's gushy, worshipful prose that General Logan was due to be canonized any time now.
Mrs. General Logan conveniently glosses over most of Logan's career as a political boss, which had more than a few squalid moments. She would also have the reader believe that her husband's military career was more distinguished than in fact it was. While Logan was one of the better "political generals" in the Union Army (not a rank incompetent such as Banks or Butler), he was nonetheless removed from command by Sherman's request because he was believed to be prioritizing politics over military affairs.
If the reader picks this book up believing it contains a gripping account of the tough life in the field --- well, at times it does, but it also contains in equal parts accounts of being received at the Imperial German court, and rubbing elbows with all the famous people that General Logan knew over the years. Mrs. General Logan clearly enjoys life as the wife of a Very Important Person, and enjoys recounting details of moving in selected circles.
All of this riveting information is presented in typically gaudy 19th-century prose, which is made even more hilarious by Mrs. General Logan's starry-eyed regard for her saintly, model of perfection husband. The book can get pretty funny at time, because it is simply so over-the-top, but as a historical resource, it should be considered almost worthless.
Interesting reading........1998-03-31
Mrs. Logan, (the wife of General John A. Logan of Illinois, one of the most notable "political generals" of the Civil War), was well placed to observe and report on the events of her time.
Residing in Washington for more than fifty years, she apparently was acquainted with everyone of importance, and has used her considerable powers of observation and description to produce this highly readable, useful and entertaining chronicle of the public affairs and personages of nineteenth-century America.
In conjunction with Mrs, Logan's autobiography the reader may wish to consult "Black Jack", James Pickett Jones' excellent biography of General Logan also published by Southern Illinois University Press.
(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not 'score" books.).
Amazon.com
Bill Clinton pledged to run "the most ethical administration in the history of the republic." In High Crimes and Misdemeanors, conservative lawyer and pundit Ann Coulter finds this promise laughably off the mark. Although she devotes a fair amount of space to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Coulter covers the gamut of Clinton controversies, from the Whitewater deal to the death of Vincent Foster to Filegate (plus others--ever heard of "Wampumgate"?). Her tone is aggressively anti-Clinton, but she also has the virtue of engaging and straightforward prose that explains why each individual scandal matters. (The chapter on Whitewater begins: "This is the boring part. Whitewater gets interesting only when you understand why it is boring. It is boring by design, like a New York Times editorial. Don't skip to the next chapter! That's just what the Clintons want you to do.") The best section of the book is a serious examination of the impeachment process--how the Founding Fathers envisioned it, how it's been used throughout history, and why, in Coulter's opinion, it should be invoked against Clinton. --John J. Miller
Book Description
The book that started it all. Written with Coulter's trademark irreverent wit, this bestseller is now available in paperback.
Customer Reviews:
Ann's First Book Digs Deep Into the Clintons.......2007-08-20
Bottom Line: A Harsh and Detailed Indictment of President Clinton's Behavior
What You Will Learn: Too much about the President's personal behavior and a lot about the early mistakes made by the Clinton's. To me the interesting question, when reading the details of Whitewater, Filegate and the Lewinsky Affairs, is what Mrs. Clinton learned from these painful experiences. My bet is a lot - and that these rookie mistakes and lapses won't be repeated if there is a second Clinton Presidency.
Parting Shot: Have to give Anne her due, she is a relentless researcher and a skilled writer - this is one side of the story, bluntly told.
A criminal gets a pass (and elected president....twice!!!).......2007-03-26
In "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" Ann Coulter details the Crimes and Peccadilloes that illustrate Bill Clinton's disregard for the law and apparent contempt for the fairer sex. I have followed Mr. Clinton's crimes quite closely over the years but this book left me wondering if the country's left wingers and liberal mainstream media spent the '90s in a parallel universe. If you have enjoyed any of Ms. Coulter's other books this one will not disappoint. Ms. Coulter has few peers in the world of political punditry.
Makes Watergate look like Childs Play.......2006-12-15
Ann Coulter examines the term "high crimes and misdemeanors" in the context of English common law and the intentions of the framers of the United States Constitution. She discusses the Monica Lewinsky affair, the White House Travel Office, Whitewater, Vince Foster, and fundraising issues that she contends call for impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
And when you look at what is considered an impeachable event, President Clinton has a long line of them. It is amazing he was able to keep the office when he actually committed purgery under oath numerous times and all Nixon did was lie once, while not under oath, and the Watergate break-in was not performed by anyone on his White House staff. No one has ever dragged the Presidency to such a disgustingly low level in our history. As if lying about inhaling pot and dodging the draft didn't tell us what kind of person we were dealing with, he tops it all off by betraying his wife and disgracing his Office by having a young page perform sexual acts on him in the Oval Office.
The shameful lack of condemnation from various Liberal factions speaks volumes about their collective integrity, but I have come to expect this from liberals. Coulter lays out all the facts that shows that our ex-President on this issue, which was a double moral outrage, but also on major concerns such as Whitewater. Our forefathers expected the President to be a shinning example of integrity for the country. They would all have called for Clintons impeachment on a long list of "high crimes and misdemeanors."
You will be glad you read it, even if you disagree........2006-09-15
I will begin with criticisms of High Crimes & Misdemeanors. These are nagging little criticisms I make because the points I'll allude to are the sorts of things that would make me roll my eyes a little, or excuse myself for a couple of minutes for a breather if this were a conversation rather than a book. Ms. Coulter has suffered the fate of all those who seek to insert comic relief or sarcasm into serious material. Witticisms, sarcasm, barbed ironies, sage observations, facts, foregone conclusions, and research don't always blend perfectly to suit all the people all the time. Some of the (perhaps a little mean-spirited) humor at the expense of liberals, I found sophomoric and/or repetitive and/or a little snide. There, I've gone on record with that, and let me say that for me, these irritations accounted for about 12 sentences in the book. Usually they were the kickers to a "call & response", or a wrap-up rhetorical statement or question. I tried to bear in mind that I really didn't buy this book for the comedy.
As for the rest of the book, I cannot give more stellar praise. Without apology, I can say this was, at the time, the only book of its kind I had ever read. In the past month or so, I've since read other Coulter books. To distinguish myself from several reviewers, I have read the entire book. The bibliography, references and annotations are impressive. I didn't have or take the time to trace down every one of them. Owing largely to and in addition, I seem to remember someone else taking issue with Ann Coulter's fact-checking and accuracy, and coming away with a figuratively bloodied nose for his trouble. If (as a liberal) you'll allow that the quotes and documentation check out, I'll allow (as a conservative) that there is *always* the opportunity for contextual disagreement or for more thorough research into any given blurb or quote. To qualify this review, I am mostly conservative, I believe in the United States, I believe in my fellow Americans, and I believe that morals, right vs. wrong and a high standard of ethics can and should be applied to, indeed expected of our political leaders (as well as business leaders, religious leaders, teachers, law enforcement, lawyers, judges, etc., etc.). The things I don't believe in are persecution of human beings based on sexuality, race, religion, creed, or politics. I also don't believe liberals are stupid. I believe select people are stupid independent of political affiliation, but that is a different and longer story... All this to say, if you feel you should discount OR hearken to my review based on who I am, you now know some of the basics about the person with whom you are already mentally primed to agree or disagree. (Yes, I know I should've just ended that sentence with a preposition...it bothered me) If, in your mind, I'm still a NeoCon fanatic, hopped up on Reagan Kool-Aid, fine. I will still do my best to honestly evaluate this book.
The facts and citations Ms. Coulter used to build her case seem airtight. The logic she used, witticisms and criticisms aside, made sense to me. I am astounded at what I've learned. The spin machine she described is leaps and bounds beyond anything I imagined after having seen the movie "Wag the Dog". As a person who tries to whittle things down to the essentials, and then move on, I really can understand how inundation with conflicting stories, viewpoints and assertions basically paralyzes the American voter/citizen. It's no wonder President Clinton wasn't removed from office. By the time the matter was put to a vote, the issues truly at hand had been obfuscated and misrepresented so fully, (most of the nation -in my remembrance- was convinced that the whole thing was about Monica) that no one person seemed to have a credible grasp on the truth.
To clarify, it wasn't about Monica. It *was* about sex, but not that wholesome, middle-America sex, so hale and beautiful. Notably, not the kind of sex that is correctly omitted from polite conversation because it is a personal and virtuous expression between partners (rather than acquaintances). Quite likely, though most don't know why, we all feel a little dirty, perhaps a little ashamed for having endured the whole messy affair. Sex scandals (plural) in the White House were definitely something this country could have done without. Though I wish it hadn't happened, I'm glad I've found out more details about this episode in U.S. history. The book is nothing if not annotated details, quotations, recorded testimony, and in truth, a highly cogent and damning lambasting of our former President. You will be indignant, you will be enlightened, and you will puzzle at how these quotes and tidbits escaped your attention during the media frenzy. If you're willing to admit that there is a surpassingly effective spin machine somewhere between Maryland and Virginia, you will feel justified in your suspicions that more went on than we were told.
Moreover, this book is interesting in that the sex scandals were like a Part Two of Four in the book. I found the pre-Presidency and late-second-term material more interesting, more telling, and foremost more genuinely horrifying. Truth be known, President Clinton could have adultered, and thus shamed his wife and child, and ultimately the office of President and all who salute it until the cows came home, and he would only have met with mild disapproval from me. JFK was notorious for just that and more. FDR had a mistress. Poor Gary Hart ... I digress. Public figures have been imperfect, (if not deeply flawed) corrupt, philandering, disingenuous, cloying and base since politics began. I did read between the lines of the book that, as time passed, the Clintons were getting better at and bolder with their many and sundry misbehaviors. The stakes went up, their skill increased. I was further surprised to find out much evidence indicates Mrs. Clinton was a lynchpin in the whole criminal enterprise (several of them, in fact). Note that Mrs. Clinton is not just a lawyer, but has been hailed as a brilliant lawyer. The erstwhile Senator from New York may well be a fairly accomplished criminal as well. Though I can't call these arguments against the Clintons surprising, I am profoundly dismayed at the apparent snow-job (couldn't resist) perpetrated against the American public. Before you vote for Hillary in '08, you should read this book. If you vote for her afterwards, fine. We can agree to disagree ... BUT, if you got your news from CNN during this tumultuous time, do please read High Crimes and Misdemeanors first. I am pliable to suggestions for books or articles that offer a plausible defense against the accusations in this book (that is to say, I am not inviting rabid, Bush-hating emails, etc ... I could be more pleased with Bush too). If the work cites facts and verifiable evidence, not opinion and invective, I will read it thankfully. Meanwhile, you should read this, see if you agree, try to debunk that which you doubt, and prove to yourself that you're a reasonable, thoughtful and truly impartial seeker of truth. I surmise you will be stunned, as I was.
Throwing up has liquified her neo-con brain.......2006-08-08
Atheists have a lower divorce rate than born again christians but I guess thats just a fluke hu, Ann. They must be bad people somehow. People like Ann can't be christians because they shame one person for having an affair and then forgive another that is an alcoholic because he's a republican. She speaks to people who want to believe so bad they don't care that she doesn't have a christian bone in her body. True christians don't defame, judge or claime superiority. She doesn't have any idea of what being Jesus-like is. Oh and intelligent design is not science. Science is how Religion is why- They are too different questions.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Constitutional Commentary, published by Constitutional Commentary, Inc. on June 22, 1999. The length of the article is 7097 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton.(Review) (book review) (book review) (book reviews)
Author: Vikram David Amar
Publication:
Constitutional Commentary (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 1999
Publisher: Constitutional Commentary, Inc.
Volume: 16
Issue: 2
Page: 403
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Customer Reviews:
Great "out of your window" guide- even for novices.......1998-12-30
This is a very handy guide, simply and clearly laid out, it includes sections for the non-ornathologist (like myslef) with titles like "red birds" and "small brown birds". It contains hints on attracting birds to your yard and feeder, and it has a wealth of clear colored illustrations. Being a "Teal" myself I appreciate this. My aunt gave me this book,then she wanted to get it's name again later, so I am returning the favor and ordering one for her:)
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