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  Gemini: A Personal Account of Man's Venture into Space (Virgil Grissom)

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Author Topic:   Gemini: A Personal Account of Man's Venture into Space (Virgil Grissom)
GrantV
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Posts: 28
From: Winnipeg, Canada
Registered: Jan 2014

posted 03-05-2014 12:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for GrantV   Click Here to Email GrantV     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am wondering if anyone has actually read Gus Grissom's "Gemini"?

I am interested in both Grissom and the Gemini program, and have the opportunity to obtain a copy of this book. I am wondering if it's worth it? Is this a technical account of his work on Gemini, or more of an autobiography?

Thanks for your input!

hermit
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Posts: 186
From: Scotland
Registered: Jun 2009

posted 03-06-2014 12:03 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hermit   Click Here to Email hermit     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's more about the Gemini program than about him.

Fra Mauro
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Posts: 1586
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 03-06-2014 01:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Fra Mauro   Click Here to Email Fra Mauro     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have a copy — it's a good book, but nothing groundbreaking.

SleeBaudrons
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Posts: 16
From: Scotland
Registered: Sep 2012

posted 03-06-2014 02:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SleeBaudrons     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's years since I last read it, but it's quite basic compared to more recent books about Gemini. I had the impression that it may have been intended for a teenage readership. Nevertheless, it's still a great souvenir from the Sixties, so you should grab a copy if you get the chance.

onesmallstep
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Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 03-06-2014 05:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A good companion book would be "Starfall", written by his widow Betty after the Apollo 1 fire.

GrantV
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Posts: 28
From: Winnipeg, Canada
Registered: Jan 2014

posted 03-06-2014 09:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for GrantV   Click Here to Email GrantV     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the responses! I think I'll take the plunge and purchase it.

astro-nut
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Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 03-08-2014 10:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for astro-nut   Click Here to Email astro-nut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, I, too, have the book and enjoyed reading it. If anyone gets a chance to obtain one they should add it to their collection.

rjurek349
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Posts: 1190
From: Northwest Indiana
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 03-09-2014 07:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have the book and have read it, too. I enjoyed it, especially knowing that it reflects Gus's personal observations. It's the closest you'll come to having a personal conversation with Grissom (in your head of course!), given the style of writing and personal reflections. After all, as Gus points out in the intro, he is writing the book for an audience of two: his two sons, Mark and Scott. It doesn't get much more personal than that. In that light, I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it.

I think the Publisher's Weekly review blurb on the book jacket describes it best:

Modestly, smoothly, and with touches of humor and human interest, the late Gus Grissom has written about the Gemini missions and the way they were planned to work into a trip to the moon. The book is lent great poignancy by the author's death with two other astronauts in a simulation of space flight. A very good book for a layman, especially a young person, who wants to understand the procedures of space flights. Grissom is clear and keeps his approach simple in explaining the technical parts.
It is a must have. And, must read. And as you are reading, just remember — it is as if you are dropping in on a conversation between Gus and his kids.

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