Challenger - A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

'Gripping' ED CAESAR - 'Masterly' GEOFF DYER - 'Incredible' TIM HARFORD - 'A universal story that transcends time' NEW YORK TIMES - 'Superb' DAILY TELEGRAPH - 'We know what's going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless' THE TIMES

__ THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER __

The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research - this is riveting history that reads like a thriller.

On the morning of 28 January 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in twentieth century history - one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of th e future. Yet the full story of what happened - and why - has never been told.

Based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space follows a handful of central protagonists - including each of the seven members of the doomed crew - through the years leading up to the accident, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It's a compelling tale of optimism and ingenuity shattered by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubristic 'go fever'; and of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers determined to bring the truth to light.

With astonishing clarity and narrative verve, Adam Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster, as well as the designers, engineers and test pilots who s truggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama, fascinating science and shocking political infighting, Challenger brings to life a turning point in our history. The result is an even more complex and extraordinary story than any of us remembered - or thought possible.

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No book that I've reviewed in the past ten years has disturbed me quite like this one. I cried for McAuliffe and her fellow crew members, whose innocent ideals of space exploration were so cruelly exploited. Higginbotham tells this tragic story with superb dramatic instinct - we know what's going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless Gerard DeGroot The Times