Question What are you reading? - Page 8 - Orbiter-Forum

**Orbinaut Pete** · 02-02-2009, 02:02 PM

"Riding Rockets" by former NASA Astronaut Mike Mullane, who flew aboard 3 Space Shuttle Missions: STS-41D, STS-27, STS-36.

Well worth a read. In places it can be hilariously funny, but also saddeningly realistic. It offers an inside view of NASA, the Space Shuttle program, and indeed space flight itself.

It's a sharp change from the always perfect image painted by NASA PR in the public eye.

More info:
www.mikemullane.com

Scrooge McDuck · 03-03-2009, 09:12 PM

Just finished "Free Flight" by Douglas Terman.
Wow, great book, finished the 300+ pages in two days. It was in a bookcase here for years, never noticed it..

The story is taking place after a 7-day nuclear war. The main character survives and, surprisingly, gets his hands on a 2 seater motorglider, which he uses to escape from the (former) United States to the north, Canada and beyond, away from the terrible new regime. In other words, for a good part the book is all about gliding (liked it, being a soaring fan myself!), but in a very unusual situation!
Also the beginning of the book describes in a very realistic way how such insane decisions for starting a total nuclear war could happen..

regards,
mcduck

Jarvitä · 03-03-2009, 09:38 PM

I'm a big fan of science fiction/speculative fiction books. I've just finished the Time's Eye series by Stephen Baxter, currently reading Left Behind by Tim LaHaye.

Ark · 03-03-2009, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarvitä

I'm a big fan of science fiction/speculative fiction books. I've just finished the Time's Eye series by Stephen Baxter, currently reading Left Behind by Tim LaHaye.

The Time's Eye series had some good stuff, I especially liked the antimatter-powered warship.

Finally found a copy of Baxter's book Titan, I've been looking forward to this one for a while.

**Quick_Nick** · 03-03-2009, 10:30 PM

Just started Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

Andy44 · 03-04-2009, 05:23 AM

Just finished Palestine: Inside and Out by Saree Makdisi. Definitely NOT light reading, I learned much.

Before that I read Longitude by Dava Sobel which is the story of the man who struggled to claim the prize for finding a way to deiscern one's longitude at sea by use of an amazing new clock he built. The book also discusses other methods of finding longitude, through the use fo astronomical observations, including the Moon & tables, and the moons of Jupiter, which Galieo believed were the "clock in the sky" that anyone could read to find the time at the reference longitude. Fascinating story.

atuhalpa · 03-04-2009, 06:25 AM

Penguins History of the World

Pilot7893 · 03-04-2009, 06:37 AM

Ask me in the summer (summer reading project

)

James.Denholm · 03-04-2009, 06:47 AM

I'm re-reading two science fiction novels I read when I was younger and got from the Salvation Army (I'm not poor or anything, but the Salvo's are a great book source). Just finished Raft by Stephen Baxter, moving on to Time Storm by Gordon R. Dickson.

I realize now that in my youthful impatience I missed so very much of the two novels, and, on re-reading it, I enjoyed Raft a lot more than I did before (but that might also be slightly due to the fact that I now understand Newtonian physics!).

**Orbinaut Pete** · 03-14-2009, 03:59 PM

I have just started on another astronaut autobiography: Sky Walking, by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, Ph.D.

He has flown on four Space Shuttle missions, including STS-98 to the ISS, which delivered the Destiny laboratory. He has also performed three spacewalks outside the ISS.

The book is a good account of how the ISS came into existence. The book describes all the troubles the space station faced in the early 90's, and details how the Russians eventually came on-board the project. The US & Russia seem to co-operate fully in space exploration now, but this book tells that in the early years of the ISS, this was not always the case, as both countries battled for the majority of control over the project...

And the descriptions of working inside the ISS, and outside it on a spacewalk are simply amazing.

A good read!

www.astronauttomjones.com

EJ316 · 03-14-2009, 05:50 PM

I'm currently reading the autobiography of Slash...but I usually read things like Conrad and Woolf, honest

Andy44 · 03-14-2009, 09:13 PM

I read the Tom Jones book, but after reading Mike Mullane's book I found it sterile and diappointing. Mullane lays it all out there for the reader, and let's you know what was right and what was wrong, without mercy. Jones is way more reserved and keeps all of NASA's problems internal. Good ISS info, but most of it left me wondering what the real story was.

**Dickie** · 03-21-2009, 11:19 AM

Just finished 'Too Far From Home' by Chris Jones - a great read about Expedition Six to the ISS who found themselves with no way of getting home after the Columbia disaster. The parts that really make it worth reading are the descriptions of day to day life on the ISS for it's three man crew and how the crew grew together during the time they spent waiting to come back.

About to start 'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyer having been told by my girlfriend to make a change for once from only reading books relating to flying or spaceflight, not too sure about a book described as a "thrilling vampire romance" though?!

Pquardzvaark · 03-21-2009, 05:31 PM

I'm really low on some good fiction, which is what I tend to read, so right now I've been on and off reading a translation of Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

My dad recommended The Right Stuff but we couldn't find the copy, so I plan ordering that soon and reading it Art of War.

**PhantomCruiser** · 03-21-2009, 05:49 PM

I'll finish "Green Mars" in a few hours, then move on to "Blue Mars". I'm also reading Patrick O'Brian's "The Reverse of The Medal". I've been working on his Master And Commander series for years (it seems).

03-21-2009, 05:31 PM	#119
Pquardzvaark Orbinaut	I'm really low on some good fiction, which is what I tend to read, so right now I've been on and off reading a translation of Sun Tzu's The Art of War. My dad recommended The Right Stuff but we couldn't find the copy, so I plan ordering that soon and reading it Art of War. Last edited by Pquardzvaark; 03-21-2009 at 10:27 PM.

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02-02-2009, 02:02 PM	#106
Orbinaut Pete ISSU Project Manager	"Riding Rockets" by former NASA Astronaut Mike Mullane, who flew aboard 3 Space Shuttle Missions: STS-41D, STS-27, STS-36. Well worth a read. In places it can be hilariously funny, but also saddeningly realistic. It offers an inside view of NASA, the Space Shuttle program, and indeed space flight itself. It's a sharp change from the always perfect image painted by NASA PR in the public eye. More info: www.mikemullane.com

03-03-2009, 09:12 PM	#107
Scrooge McDuck Addon Developer	Just finished "Free Flight" by Douglas Terman. Wow, great book, finished the 300+ pages in two days. It was in a bookcase here for years, never noticed it.. The story is taking place after a 7-day nuclear war. The main character survives and, surprisingly, gets his hands on a 2 seater motorglider, which he uses to escape from the (former) United States to the north, Canada and beyond, away from the terrible new regime. In other words, for a good part the book is all about gliding (liked it, being a soaring fan myself!), but in a very unusual situation! Also the beginning of the book describes in a very realistic way how such insane decisions for starting a total nuclear war could happen.. regards, mcduck

03-03-2009, 09:38 PM	#108
Jarvitä Orbinaut	I'm a big fan of science fiction/speculative fiction books. I've just finished the Time's Eye series by Stephen Baxter, currently reading Left Behind by Tim LaHaye.

03-03-2009, 10:13 PM	#109
Ark Orbinaut	Quote: Originally Posted by Jarvitä I'm a big fan of science fiction/speculative fiction books. I've just finished the Time's Eye series by Stephen Baxter, currently reading Left Behind by Tim LaHaye. The Time's Eye series had some good stuff, I especially liked the antimatter-powered warship. Finally found a copy of Baxter's book Titan, I've been looking forward to this one for a while.

03-03-2009, 10:30 PM	#110
Quick_Nick Passed the Turing Test	Just started Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

03-04-2009, 05:23 AM	#111
Andy44 owner: Oil Creek Astronautix	Just finished Palestine: Inside and Out by Saree Makdisi. Definitely NOT light reading, I learned much. Before that I read Longitude by Dava Sobel which is the story of the man who struggled to claim the prize for finding a way to deiscern one's longitude at sea by use of an amazing new clock he built. The book also discusses other methods of finding longitude, through the use fo astronomical observations, including the Moon & tables, and the moons of Jupiter, which Galieo believed were the "clock in the sky" that anyone could read to find the time at the reference longitude. Fascinating story.

03-04-2009, 06:25 AM	#112
atuhalpa Orbinaut	Penguins History of the World

03-04-2009, 06:37 AM	#113
Pilot7893 Epik spaec mishun!	Ask me in the summer (summer reading project )

03-04-2009, 06:47 AM	#114
James.Denholm Addon ponderer	I'm re-reading two science fiction novels I read when I was younger and got from the Salvation Army (I'm not poor or anything, but the Salvo's are a great book source). Just finished Raft by Stephen Baxter, moving on to Time Storm by Gordon R. Dickson. I realize now that in my youthful impatience I missed so very much of the two novels, and, on re-reading it, I enjoyed Raft a lot more than I did before (but that might also be slightly due to the fact that I now understand Newtonian physics!).

03-14-2009, 03:59 PM	#115
Orbinaut Pete ISSU Project Manager	I have just started on another astronaut autobiography: Sky Walking, by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, Ph.D. He has flown on four Space Shuttle missions, including STS-98 to the ISS, which delivered the Destiny laboratory. He has also performed three spacewalks outside the ISS. The book is a good account of how the ISS came into existence. The book describes all the troubles the space station faced in the early 90's, and details how the Russians eventually came on-board the project. The US & Russia seem to co-operate fully in space exploration now, but this book tells that in the early years of the ISS, this was not always the case, as both countries battled for the majority of control over the project... And the descriptions of working inside the ISS, and outside it on a spacewalk are simply amazing. A good read! www.astronauttomjones.com

03-14-2009, 05:50 PM	#116
EJ316 Orbinaut	I'm currently reading the autobiography of Slash...but I usually read things like Conrad and Woolf, honest

03-14-2009, 09:13 PM	#117
Andy44 owner: Oil Creek Astronautix	I read the Tom Jones book, but after reading Mike Mullane's book I found it sterile and diappointing. Mullane lays it all out there for the reader, and let's you know what was right and what was wrong, without mercy. Jones is way more reserved and keeps all of NASA's problems internal. Good ISS info, but most of it left me wondering what the real story was.

03-21-2009, 11:19 AM	#118
Dickie Sky Sailor	Just finished 'Too Far From Home' by Chris Jones - a great read about Expedition Six to the ISS who found themselves with no way of getting home after the Columbia disaster. The parts that really make it worth reading are the descriptions of day to day life on the ISS for it's three man crew and how the crew grew together during the time they spent waiting to come back. About to start 'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyer having been told by my girlfriend to make a change for once from only reading books relating to flying or spaceflight, not too sure about a book described as a "thrilling vampire romance" though?!

03-21-2009, 05:49 PM	#120
PhantomCruiser Wanderer	I'll finish "Green Mars" in a few hours, then move on to "Blue Mars". I'm also reading Patrick O'Brian's "The Reverse of The Medal". I've been working on his Master And Commander series for years (it seems).