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Author
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Topic: The Space Shuttle Decision: 1965-1972
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Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 246
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted April 26, 2007 11:54 AM
  
I just started reading "The Space Shuttle Decision: 1965-1972" by T. Heppenheimer (2002). It seems well written and very in-depth. Ive only started but it seems to go off on some tangential subjects but I suppose its hard to know how much context/perspective is needed to really tell the story. Anyone else read it? |
Gilbert
Member Posts: 784
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted April 27, 2007 02:19 PM
I read it 3 or 4 years ago. I remember that the book was difficult to read and a little dry, but informative. The convoluted political process the shuttle program endured is what I remember most. |
Dwayne Day
Member Posts: 532
From:
Registered: Feb 2004
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posted April 30, 2007 08:35 AM
I'll confess to not reading it, but I have used it as reference and found it less useful than I had hoped. Heppenheimer is a quirky guy (to say the least). Some of his magazine articles are outstanding, and at times he has a great ability to turn a phrase. With the two shuttle books, however, I thought he was not at his best. I found the footnoting/referencing to be rather weak. It was hard to track down specific information in the books. I also thought that he had a very superficial account of the military role and interest in the shuttle. But I acknowledge that I tend to use books differently than the general public. I often use them as references and I am therefore very interested in details and accuracy and concerned that a claim made in a book can be traced to a specific source. |
cspg
Member Posts: 3315
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted April 30, 2007 10:03 AM
It's a tough read. I started reading a couple of years ago but didn't finish mainly because there are so many issues involved...But I'll pick it up again once I can get focused on this book only (and the second volume). English not being my mother tongue didn't help.Chris. |
Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 246
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted April 30, 2007 11:27 AM
It has good info, it just seems to me that it covers too many subjects in the cause of trying to give perspective. He has an entire chapter on the aerospace industry recession of the early 70s where he goes into great detail overe the entire Lockheed L-1011/Rolls Royce RB-211 debacle. Intersting, but what really did it have to do with the space shuttle? |
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