Countdown; An Autobiography

Norwalk, CT: The Easton Press, 1997. Collector's Edition, Number 1103 of 3000. Hardcover. 448, [2] pages. Frontis (color). Illustrations. 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 signature of Frank Borman on front cover. Authentic signature of Frank Borman is on the Collector's Edition page above the number of the limited edition. Laid in is a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Frank Borman and dated 21 Oct 1996 and witnessed by Patricia M. Gonzalez and dated 10-21-96. 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 Frank Borman autographs! Also laid in is an unattached Easton bookplate. Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman. He was the commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, and together with crewmates Jim Lovell and William Anders, became the first of 24 humans to do so, for which he was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. He owned and rebuilt a rare World War II single-engine fighter, the Bell P-63 Kingcobra. It won the prestigious Grand Champion Warbird award when exhibited at Oshkosh in 1998. As an astronaut, Frank Borman flew on two of NASA's riskiest missions--Gemini 7 (the first manned-spacecraft rendezvous in orbit) and Apollo 8 (the first manned voyage around the moon). Frank Frederick Borman II (born March 14, 1928), (Col, USAF, Ret.), is a retired United States Air Force pilot, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut, best remembered as the Commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, making him, along with crew mates Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, the first of only 24 humans to do so. Before flying on Apollo, he set a fourteen-day spaceflight endurance record on Gemini 7, and also served on the NASA review board which investigated the Apollo 1 fire. After leaving NASA, he was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eastern Air Lines from 1975 to 1986. Borman is a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. He is currently the oldest living former American astronaut, just eleven days older than fellow astronaut Jim Lovell. Derived from a Publishers Weekly article: The exciting account included here of Borman's NASA years (he took part in the Gemini 7 and Apollo 8 spaceflights, and also served as a troubleshooter and project manager). In 1970, Borman went to work for Eastern Airlines, a company ``riddled with inept management and uncaring unions,'' to eventually take over as president and CEO. His most difficult task: cutting labor costs. The book describes Eastern's prolonged, bitter struggle to remain independent, a management/labor fight Borman lost in 1986 when Eastern became part of Texas Air. The most impressive section of this highly readable autobiography, coauthored with novelist Sterling, is the depiction of Borman's confrontations with intransigent labor leaders and the dynamics of their negotiations. Also memorable is the tribute to Susan Borman's poignant struggle to be ``the Perfect Wife married to the Perfect Husband who was the Perfect Astronaut in a Perfect American Family raising Perfect Children.'' Borman became an aviation consultant. Condition: As new.

Keywords: Astronauts, Space, NASA, Eastern Airlines, Gemini, Apollo, Fighter Pilots, West Point, USAF, Bill Anders, Apollo 8, Apollo Program, Gemini 7, Wally Schirra, James Lovell, Tom Stafford, West Point, United States Military Academy, USMA, William Usery

ISBN: 0688079296

[Book #75497]

Price: $1,825.00

See all items in Astronauts, NASA, Space, West Point
See all items by ,