Reviews for First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong

The average rating for First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-12-07 00:00:00 Mark Van Heugten What gall we must have to ask a child what he would be when he grows up! Here he is, tearing along in the delirious hallucination of childhood and we would already have him fill out the box, sign on the line, put the cube in the square hole; we would confront him with this terrible hunt for purpose and significance in the material, have him genuflect before the idol of maturity in activity, the sequestration of occupation in industry! But when I was a kid that question -- of the many on old folks' checklist of generic questions for grade-schoolers -- rarely bothered me. I always just answered that I would be a writer/teacher/astronaut/architect/treasure-hunter/tree-house-builder/rich-person, and that seemed to satisfy the elderly without putting too many constraints on me. No, the question that bothered me was always: "and who are your heros, kiddo?" (Old folks' questions to youngsters are always sandwiched between a conjunction and a diminutive epithet.) Because I didn't have any heroes! The most popular answers amongst my generation were undoubtedly "Michael Jordan" and "My Dad." But I sure didn't give a shit about this Jordan fellow, and "My Dad" always seemed forced. Because, really, whose Dad at Oak Hill Elementary was really that cool? You only said your Dad so word would eventually get back to him and he'd buy you a new pack of Marvel Comics cards or a Slurpee or whatever. But then. Then I found out about space. And I found out that we had been to the moon. And so of course there had to be a first guy to step on the moon, right? There was. His name was Neil A. Armstrong. And that was that. Neil Armstrong was my hero. Oh my god, was he. My one and only. He was, he is. Nothing could possibly be more awesome than being the first person to step on an extraterrestrial body. Nothing. And that carried on for many years. Until about a month ago when I saw this book: the first "authorized" biography of Neil Armstrong. It turns out that the man has been perceived as something of a recluse by the media, since roughly the end of Apollo 11 ceremonies, and that him allowing interviews and a biography is actually pretty astounding. But I would have never known that. Because really, I didn't know the first thing about Neil Armstrong, the man. But that's the way it goes, isn't it? Our heroes are not elected for who they are, but for what they've done. Put another way: my hero has never been Neil Armstrong, it has been the first man on the moon. Ironically, no one understood this better than Neil. I think that people should be recognized for their achievements and the value that adds to society's progress. But it can easily be overdone. I think highly of many people and their accomplishments, but I don't believe that that should be paramount over the actual achievements themselves. Celebrity shouldn't supersede the things they've accomplished. What Neil doesn't seem to understand is human nature itself. For we need that idol. We need something flesh and blood to make us believe that our flesh, too, can be greater than mere flesh; that our blood, too, can flow through the annals of history and be remembered not just as a name but as an act. The blood of something done, the blood of apotheosis. And that has crossed my mind, too: that Neil Armstrong isn't human at all, and that's why he can't possibly understand. Norman Mailer, who could not bear the astronaut's placidity, his composure, would have it that way. This much is true -- that Neil Armstrong is easily the most inscrutable of all historical personages. He's either totally without emotion, or understands his place in Valhalla so thoroughly as to deny us their makeup. This is a man who would have rather been on a later Apollo flight -- one in which more elaborate engineering could have been tried -- but knew he would submit to being the first man, if he was called by duty. This is a man that never asked for the moon, never wished for it, never craved it as I crave to be in his place. Would you ever, he was asked, nights, or most nights, just go out quietly and look at the Moon? Ponder your destiny, your calling? I mean did it become something like "my goodness"? No, answered Neil. No, I never did that. He's either the perfect hero, or the worst hero ever. But it doesn't matter, does it? He was the first man on the moon. And so he's my hero.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-02-22 00:00:00 Idan Regev It's difficult to believe there has ever been a more accomplished human being who was more modest than Neil Armstrong. On July 20, 1969, Neil A. Armstrong became the first human to step on the surface of a world beyond our Earth. He was 38 years old. Armstrong landed on the lunar surface as perhaps the premier aviator of his generation. He'd been flying for 22 years (having earned his pilot's license as a teenager before being old enough to apply for a driver's license). His aviation achievements were unparalleled: dozens of successful combat missions in the Korean War, first test flights of the rocket-powered X-15, first ever docking in space, survivor of near disasters in space, among other adventures. And, truth be told, this aviator and engineer was more interested in flying to the moon than walking on it. But, for all of his achievements, Neil Armstrong was reclusive. His introversion often made him misunderstood. And in this authorized biography, James Hansen reveals for the first time who Neil Armstrong really was. Armstrong gave Hansen access to private documents and unpublished sources. Hansen conducted interviews with more than 125 subjects (including more than fifty hours with Armstrong himself). And the resulting book delivers the first (and only) detailed accounting and in-depth analysis of this reluctant hero. "First Man" also contains the most thorough telling of the first lunar landing I've ever read. (And I believe I've read them all). That alone makes the book essential reading. But there is so much more in these pages. After walking on the moon, Armstrong could have done anything. His only desire was to return to his rural home in Ohio and to teach engineering at the University of Cincinnati. So, that's what he did. Neil Armstrong worked on his farm, taught the next generation of engineering students and continued his childhood fascination with flying. He never cashed in. He never sold out. There would never be a Neil Armstrong action figure (or any other product). And he never charged a fee for a personal appearance, photograph or autograph. Neil A. Armstrong lived a life of service, achievement and modesty. He made commitments to things bigger than himself. He honored those commitments. He racked up unprecedented achievements. And he went on with his life without bragging or boasting. His biography is not a light read. Armstrong chose James Hansen to write his biography in part because Hansen is an Engineering professor. As a result, the text frequently contains detailed explanations of engineering and physics. These make for arduous reading. I frequently found myself re-reading pages in an attempt to understand the information being conveyed. I'm confident that's precisely the way engineer Neil A. Armstrong wanted it. And, when I finished reading "First Man", I was convinced of one thing the book never discusses. The Apollo program had an incredible talent pool of Astronauts. NASA probably couldn't have gone wrong in selecting any one of them to be the first human to attempt landing on the moon. (And competition for that opportunity was intense.) But when NASA selected Neil A. Armstrong they picked the absolute BEST candidate to be the first human to walk on the moon. Neil A. Armstrong is more than a genuine American hero. Much much more. And "First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong" reveals why.