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Author
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Topic: Shattered Dreams: Lost Missions (Burgess)
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ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 10-25-2017 06:33 AM
   
Today I shipped off the manuscript for my latest book as part of the Outward Odyssey series, "Shattered Dreams: The Lost and Cancelled Space Missions" to the University of Nebraska Press, for publication next year. In some ways similar to "Fallen Astronauts," the book tells the stories in 14 individual chapters of a number of people whose dreams of flying into space were lost due to a number of reasons, including the loss of shuttle Challenger and personal accidents. These are deeply personal stories written with the full cooperation of the subjects or their surviving family members. The NASA astronauts included in this book are Patty Hilliard Robertson, John Bull, Doc Graveline, Stephen Thorne, Frank Caldeiro, and Phil Chapman. Others include payload specialist candidates Robert Wood, Bob Stevenson and Nigel Wood. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 10-25-2017 07:28 AM
Thanks for the update Colin! |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-17-2018 07:29 PM
A further update: I have now received the edited text back from the copyeditor for my perusal and any corrections, and it will be sent on to UNP in the next few days. I hope to be able to have a publication date to share sometime soon. |
fredtrav
Member Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 07-18-2018 10:09 AM
Looking forward to it Colin. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 10-26-2018 03:26 AM
Shattered Dreams: The Lost and Canceled Space Missions
by Colin Burgess Shattered Dreams recounts the personal stories and recollections of several men and women who were in line to fly a specific or future spaceflight mission but lost that opportunity due to personal reasons, mission cancellations, or even tragedies. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 10-26-2018 05:26 AM
Thanks Chris. The editing work has been completed and I should be receiving the page proofs for checking early December. Not too sure why Amazon is listing it as a paperback, as it is being produced first of all in hardcover. |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 10-26-2018 05:34 AM
No problem. Glad to see it's also in hardback! |
p51
Member Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 10-26-2018 12:31 PM
Sounds interesting.Did you address the mission types that got killed after STS-51L, such as the news person in space program? |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 10-26-2018 04:28 PM
Several of the stories in the book focus on people selected to fly on shuttle missions but who were denied this chance when Challenger was lost. The non-NASA candidates include Skynet's Nigel Wood, APS Robert Wood, oceanographer Robert Stevenson, Indonesia's Pratiwi Sudarmono and others, but as no one had been selected for the journalist-in-space mission prior to the loss of Challenger it is not covered in this book. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 12-13-2018 04:16 PM
Latest update: I have just completed a thorough check of the page proofs, and after requesting a few minor changes the book can now proceed to the publication stage. It may take a few more months, but I'm delighted and impressed with the fantastic job carried out by the folks at UNP. |
fredtrav
Member Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 12-13-2018 04:35 PM
Looking forward to it Colin. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 12-13-2018 04:57 PM
Now listed at Amazon with a 1 May publication date (which will probably mean an April release). Loved the beautiful cover art produced by UNP. |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 03-02-2019 06:06 AM
Amazon now has 'look inside' for the book, a sign of publication very soon? |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 03-02-2019 02:53 PM
I was informed by UNP earlier this week that stocks of the book were expected in their warehouse any day now and review copies would then be sent out, so it's likely that it will become generally available soon after. |
Kite
Member Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 03-03-2019 07:21 AM
Yet another must get title in this great series, looking forward to it immensely. |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 03-23-2019 03:21 PM
I just pre-ordered my copy and can't wait to read it and learn from it. This sounds like a great read on the lost shuttle flights. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 03-30-2019 09:23 PM
I've just taken pre-release delivery of my authors' copies of this book, so I'd imagine any orders through UNP or Amazon and such will be shipped off very soon. It's a very handsome looking book. |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 03-31-2019 10:53 AM
The "scheduling gods" have been very kind to us — firstly "Come Fly With Us" and now "Shattered Dreams" only a few months later. You usually have to wait years for quality titles like these to appear! |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 03-31-2019 06:02 PM
Many thanks, Dom. Another big Outward Odyssey title due out later this year will be Richard Jurek's long-awaited biography of George Low, "The Ultimate Engineer." Several series books are currently being researched and written, and there are another couple of exciting prospects about to be contracted by UNP. Not bad for a series that was originally envisaged as ending at just eight volumes. |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 04-03-2019 11:03 AM
I received my copy of "Shattered Dreams: Lost Missions" last night in the mail. I am looking forward to reading this! I know it will be a great book with a lot of information. Great job to Colin! |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 04-11-2019 08:01 AM
Anyone who ordered on Amazon received their copies yet? |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 04-11-2019 09:24 AM
The book is to be Amazon-released May 1. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 05-03-2019 06:09 PM
Just wondering if anybody has received their copies of this book as yet? |
jjknap
Member Posts: 273
From: Bourbonnais, IL USA
Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 05-03-2019 06:25 PM
I received my copy yesterday. |
emilyc1978
Member Posts: 11
From: St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 05-04-2019 02:23 PM
Here's a post I did about this book, compared and contrasted with an older one. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 05-08-2019 04:11 PM
Many thanks Emily, I enjoyed your blog a great deal and definitely look forward to further comments on the book from anyone else. |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 05-11-2019 09:34 AM
Colin, your book arrived during the week and I'm about half way through. Although familiar with some of these stories, the rest was an enlightening (but sobering) read as it really shows how fickle fate is - it can just as easily rob you of your dream, as make it happen. Some of those interviewed in your book certainly have the "Right Stuff" when it comes to life — I'm not sure I'd be as philosophical if my chance to fly in space disappeared in some of the ways mentioned. I found your new book a great companion to "Come Fly With Us." It's been a pleasure reading them 'back to back.' |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 05-11-2019 07:43 PM
Many thanks to you as well, Dom. It is very rewarding to receive such positive comments after spending so much time, energy (and even emotion) on a project such as this. I know the family members and friends of the people in this book, as well as those who told me their stories, were looking forward to its release, and have all been extremely complimentary and supportive throughout the writing process. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 06-24-2019 10:28 PM
Although it has probably been swamped in a veritable deluge of anniversary space books this year, I would love to hear from anyone who has managed to read this book since its release a couple of months book. I'm craving any sort of feedback - even the negative stuff (however unlikely that might be!) |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-02-2019 11:39 PM
So, nobody? |
fredtrav
Member Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 07-03-2019 09:09 AM
I have just started it recently. So far so good, but then I have never read anything by Colin that I did not enjoy. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-07-2019 05:49 AM
Many thanks for the nice comment, Fred. Hope you enjoy the rest of the book. |
Kite
Member Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 07-07-2019 03:40 PM
My family are asking what I want for my birthday late next month and as these last two books in the series are much needed an easily answered question. I am so lucky as they never let me down and can't wait to read them. I know Colin that they will be up to the normal excellent standard. |
PowerCat
Member Posts: 193
From: Herington, KS, USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 07-07-2019 07:42 PM
I loved the Apollo 17 story including Joe Engle, our Kansas astronaut. I sure would have loved to see him fly with Ron Evans and having two Kansas on the same mission.The book is fantastic as I've read so far. Excellent job. |
dom
Member Posts: 855
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 07-09-2019 03:33 PM
Colin, I really enjoyed the chapter on your friend Doc Graveline. If he hadn't left NASA prematurely, what mission do you think he was in line for — a long duration Skylab flight or one of the later Apollos? |
rjurek349
Member Posts: 1190
From: Northwest Indiana
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 07-09-2019 04:33 PM
Colin, I gotta say, I enjoyed reading this book, if I am allowed to use the word "enjoy" because of some of the tragedies and the dreams shattered for those profiled. I just finished it over the holiday weekend and many of the stories still resonate and are fresh in my mind... some hauntingly so. I honestly can't pick a favorite story (although, like mentioned above, I am kind of partial to Joe Engle's story as I have always been a big fan of his). Every story is not only unique, and some down right heartbreaking, but also inspirational in their own way. I came away with a new sense of awe and respect for many of the people profiled in the book beyond just dealing with the shattering of their dreams — but, in many cases, in their courage to dream in the first place and their own personal struggles to bring those dreams to fruition. Bravo for shining a light on to a unique dimension of human spaceflight that often gets lost in all the (rightful) hero worship of successes. These stories are as important to the fabric of the history as any other. From a pure human perspective, perhaps even more so. A great read! |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-09-2019 06:29 PM
Thanks to those who've posted comments on the book. I was hoping for a little feedback, but some of these comments have blown me away and it's good to know that people have not only read and enjoyed the book, but have gained new insights to many would-be spacefarers who, for many different reasons, fell short of fulfilling their cherished dream of one day flying into space. Every time I look at the book it brings back some very poignant memories from when I was researching the book with family members of these people.In answer to the query above, Doc Graveline told me that he would have loved to have flown on one of the two later Skylab science missions. Knowing Doc as I do, together with his determination and talents, he would have nailed it and carried out an exemplary mission. |
Kite
Member Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 10-18-2019 11:52 AM
I have just finished reading this remarkable book and as expected it lived up to the high expectations of this superb series. Expertly researched and written by a master of human spaceflight history.Some very tragic and sad stories sensitively told and leaving the reader with an understanding of each one's high achievments and the awful reasons of why they never made it into space. I was particularly interested in the chapter about the early British contenders, who do seem to have been completely forgotten, and of the terrible happenings which prevented them from becoming fully fledged astronauts. Every chapter is enlightening and it was essential that their stories have been written so that we may learn of their high capabilities, hopes and misfortune. At the same time it shows their families pride in their loved ones chosen careers of becoming astronauts. Thank you again Colin for such an in depth study of all these amazingly high achieving characters. You did them proud. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 10-31-2019 05:32 AM
Really appreciate those kind comments. Like "Fallen Astronauts" this was at times a very emotional book to research and write, but I'm delighted with the way it turned out. |
mrspacehead
Member Posts: 43
From:
Registered: Jun 2017
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posted 10-31-2019 03:44 PM
I was in a bookstore a while back and got a chance to flip through "Shattered Dreams" and it was great. Well done! I can't wait to read the whole thing! |
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