Return to Earth
New York: Random House, 1973. Book Club Edition. 338, illus., front board weak & strengthened with glue, DJ scuffed, DJ edges worn and rubbed: small edge tears and chips. More
New York: Random House, 1973. Book Club Edition. 338, illus., front board weak & strengthened with glue, DJ scuffed, DJ edges worn and rubbed: small edge tears and chips. More
New York: Random House, 1973. First Edition. First Printing. 338, illus., sticker residue on front DJ, rear DJ flap creased, slight wear to top & bottom DJ edges. More
Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Scientific and Technical Information Branch, 1981. Second Edition [stated]. Presumed first printing thus. Trade paperback. ix, [1], 106, [4] pages. Wraps. Illustrations. Map. Bibliography. Index. NASA maintains an internal history program for two principal reasons: (1) Sponsorship of research in NASA-related history is one way in which NASA responds to the provision of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 that requires NASA to "provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof." (2) Thoughtful study of NASA history can help agency managers accomplish the missions assigned to the agency. Understanding NASA's past aids in understanding its present situation and illuminates possible future directions. More
Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 1970. Book Club Edition. 511, illus., notes, glossary, sticker residue ins front flyleaf, DJ edges worn: small tears, small chips missing, sticker residue. More
Washington, DC: GPO, 1969. 20th Anniversary Edition. Wraps. Oversized, 24, wraps, profusely illus. in color, covers somewhat soiled. More
Washington DC: National Academy Press, 2001. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Wraps. xxiii, [1], 21, [3] pages. Boxes. Ink marks on pages xiii, xv and 21 noted. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ONLY. This work was performed under the auspices of the Institute of Medicine, Board of Health Sciences Policy, Committee on Creating a Vision for Space Medicine During Travel Beyond Earth Orbit. More
Washington DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Scientific and Technical Information Branch, 1979. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. xvii, [1], 538, [4] pages. Illustrations. Footnotes. Appendices. Source Notes. Bibliographical Notes. Index. Library binding. Ex-library with usual library markings. Courtney G. Brooks was a Research Associate in the History Department of the University of Houston from 1969 to 1974. In that capacity he coauthored the NASA sponsored history of the development of the Apollo spacecraft, now in final revision. Born in Savannah, Georgia (1939), he received his B.A. degree from Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Alabama (1964), and his M.A. (1966) and Ph.D. (1969) degrees in history from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana. James M. Grimwood has been NASA Manned Spacecraft Center Historian since 1962. He was born in Lincoln, Alabama (1922), taking his A.B. degree from Howard College, Birmingham, Alabama (1948), and his M.A. in History from the University of Alabama. He taught history in secondary schools (1950-1952), and at San Antonio College in Texas (1958-1960). Grimwood was an Air Force Historian in South Carolina and Texas (1953-1960). Prior to joining MSC, he was historian with the Army Missile Command, Huntsville, Alabama, preparing histories of Army missile systems. He is a joint author of This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury, and author of Project Mercury: A Chronology. Loyd S. Swenson, Jr. co-authored the history of the Mercury and Apollo space programs and was an authority on the work of Albert Einstein, beginning with his research and publications on aether drift, and was a major contributor in field of history of science and technology. More
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1962. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. 352 pages. Illustrated endpapers. Illustrations (some in color). Index. Cover has wear, chips, tears and soiling. Derived from a Kirkus review: The Astronauts are our new heroes, "part pilot, part engineer, part explorer, part scientist, " They're also, organization men supreme, sounding remarkably alike. The book presents the seven essaying why they joined Project Mercury (the reasons embrace pride in country and in self), the meaning of teamwork and training, the physical and psychological exams (almost all make sub rosa cracks re headshrinkers), and, most important, a full-scale record of the preparations for and enactment of the first sub-orbital and orbital take-offs by participants Shepard and Grissom, Glenn and Carpenter. It's the latters' accounts which prove the most exciting and exemplary, especially the Friendship 7 flight. So for all the Redstone, Atlas, Canaveral, NASA details and all the challenges and courageous responses shown. The book is a rewarding revelation. More
Norwalk, CT: The Easton Press, 1997. Collector's Edition, Number 1103 of 3000. Hardcover. [4], 352 pages. Frontis (color). Illustrations. (some in color). Index. Removed from original shrinkwrap for cataloguing. The Easton Press's books are known for their elegant covers. Each book has the following features: Bound in genuine leather; Spine accented with 22 kt gold; Printed on archival paper; and Gilded page edges. The special contents of this edition were copyrighted in 1997 by The Easton Press. Facsimile signatures of Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, and John Glenn on front cover. Authentic signatures of Carpenter, Cooper and Glenn are on the Collector's Edition page above the number of the limited edition. Laid in are Certificates of Authenticity signed by Carpenter and dated 6 Nov., 1996, Cooper and dated 13 Nov 96, and Glenn dated 12-4-96 . Each signature was witnessed, Cooper's by Susan Cooper. The certificate indicated that the Authors received 25 additional unnumbered copies over and above the 3000 individually numbered copies. The Certificates are also signed by Roy S. Pfeil, Publisher. Thus, there are two Carpenter. Cooper, and Glenn autographs each! Also laid in is an unattached Easton bookplate. More
New York: The Dial Press, Inc., 1969. Second Printing. Hardcover. [12], 144, [4] pages. Pencil erasure residue on fep. DJ has creases in plastic coating of DJ. Detailed procedures of what the astronauts would do on their first few visits to the moon. Mr. Cooper, a fifth-generation descendant of the early-19th-century herald of historical fiction, was the author of eight books, and a longtime writer for The New Yorker. Mr. Cooper celebrated scientific achievement, addressed scientific failure and demystified what was behind both. Reviewing his book “Apollo on the Moon” in 1969 in The New York Times, Franklin A. Long, who was the vice president for research at Cornell University, said that Mr. Cooper’s description of an imminent mission to the moon was “remarkably evocative” and that a reader “gets the feel of what it is like to be a crew member in the lunar module.”. More
Indianapolis, IN: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1963. First Printing. 272, illus., index, DJ stained, some wear to DJ edges and small chips missing, DJ in plastic sleeve Book intended for junior and senior high school students. Topics covered include planning earth satellites, designing rockets, the Explorers, the Vanguard, the Sputniks, orbiting observatories, weather satellites, and astronauts and cosmonauts, among many others. More
Norwalk, CT: The Easton Press, 1997. Collector's Edition, number 1103 of 3000. Hardcover. [12], 227, [3] pages. Color Frontis. Illustrations. Recently removed from shrinkwrap for cataloguing. The Easton Press's books are known for their elegant covers. Each book has the following features: Bound in genuine leather; Spine accented with 22 kt gold; Printed on archival paper; and Gilded page edges. The special contents of this edition were copyrighted in 1997 by The Easton Press. Facsimile signature of Wally Schirra on front cover. Authentic signature of Wally Schirra is on the Collector's Edition page above the number of the limited edition. Laid in is a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Wally Schirra and dated 23 Oct '96 and witnessed by Josephine F. Schirra and dated 23 Oct '96. The certificate indicated that the Author received 25 additional unnumbered copies over and above the 3000 individually numbered copies. The Certificate is also signed by Roy S. Pfeil, Publisher. Thus, there are two Schirra autographs! Also laid in is an unattached Easton bookplate. More
Washington, DC: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2005. Presumed first edition/first printing. Hardcover. xi, 159 p. Illustrations. Figures. Footnotes. Index. More
Washington, DC: GPO, 1966. Hardcover. xv, [1], 681, [3] pages. Illustrations. Fold-out charts. Footnotes. Sources and bibliography. Appendices. Index. Ex-library with usual library markings. Inside rear board scuffed. Pocket at rep. This is one of the NASA Historical Series. Boards somewhat worn, scuffed, and scratched. The authors argue that Project Mercury, from its inception in the fall of 1958, was preeminently an engineering, rather than a scientific, enterprise. Loyd Sylvan Swenson, Jr., Ph.D. 1932-2016 was Professor Emeritus, University of Houston, History Dept., author and NASA historian, A third generation Texan born in Waco, Loyd graduated Waco High School, Rice Institute (University), served as Lt. in the US Navy, and attained his Masters and Ph.D. from Claremont College. He taught his entire career at University of Houston, with an interim year at Harvard Project Physics, Boston. He co-authored the history of the Mercury and Apollo space programs and was considered an authority on the work of Albert Einstein, beginning with his research and publications on aether drift, and was a major contributor to the field of history of science and technology. More
Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of Technology Utilization, Scientific and Technical Information Division, 1966. Presumed First Edition, First printing in softcover. Wraps. xv, [1], 681, [3] pages. Illustrations. Fold-out charts. Footnotes, Note on Sources and Selected Bibliography. Appendices. Index. Cover has some wear and soiling. Some fore-edge damp staining. Loyd Sylvan Swenson, Jr., Ph.D. 1932-2016 was Professor Emeritus, University of Houston, History Dept., author and NASA historian. A third generation Texan he served as Lt. in the US Navy, and attained his Masters and Ph.D. from Claremont College. He taught his entire career at University of Houston, with an interim year at Harvard Project Physics, Boston. He co-authored the history of the Mercury and Apollo space programs and was considered an authority on the work of Albert Einstein and was a major contributor to the field of history of science and technology. James Maurice Grimwood was born on October 26, 1922 in Lincoln, AL. During WWII he served in the South Pacific with the US Navy. He was Chief Historian at NASA from 1962 until his retirement in 1979. His books include This New Ocean (A History of Project Mercury), On the Shoulders of Titans (A History of Project Gemini), and Chariots for Apollo (A History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft). His final work was a memoir called What I Remember that will be treasured for generations to come. More
New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1979. First Edition. 119, illus., index, ink number inside front flyleaf, DJ edges worn: several tears, small chip missing, creases. More
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1965. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. Unpaginated (approximately 100 pages). Cover is worn and the spine is repaired/restrenghtened with tape. Slightly cocked. Illustrations (photographs--some in color--and diagrams). The chapters are: The Challenge of Gemini; "Roger, the Clock is Operating", "Go for EVA", "Good Job Boys", and Eyes on the moon. Appendix lists the members of the astronaut corps. Alvin B. Webb, Jr. was educated at Duke University. His career in news began at The Knoxville Journal, but in 1956, he joined the Raleigh bureau of then-United Press. Over the next three decades, he would be assigned to a dozen UP and UPI bureaus on three continents and would report from even more parts of the world. With the United States gearing up its infant space program in 1959, Webb was assigned to open a new bureau at Cape Canaveral to cover it. From there, he reported on the early unmanned rocket launches, followed by the Mercury 7 program of manned U. S. space flight. Webb later opened another UPI space reporting bureau at what is now the Johnson Space Center and continued his coverage of the accelerating U. S. effort to fulfill John F. Kennedy's promise to send a man to the moon before the end of the decade. Al Webb, a jack-of-all-trades American reporter awarded the military Bronze Star for battlefield heroism as a Vietnam War correspondent, a rare honor for a civilian. More