FIL borrowed Failure is Not an Option by Gene Kranz and couldn't put it down. Looking for similar books about large industry or space projects written by those who were there. I think he liked the biographical/narrative non-fiction angle. He's a big fan of space/NASA and there's usually massive textbook sized books about the history of mining or similar on his bedside table. Looking at Dark Side of the Moon by Gerard J. Degroot (if I can find a reasonably priced copy), Challenger by Adam Higginbotham (might be depressing). Waiting on confirmation that he's read The Right Stuff, which seems like an easy win. Any thoughts or suggestions will be met with deep appreciation that will radiate throughout the universe until the end of all observable time.
by timothylegion
4 Comments
Not space (but want to hear what others give as suggestions). But for complete dense biography style you should consider The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes.
All the major scientists, the industry, generals, all of it.
Lost Moon/Apollo 13 (renamed after the film) is Jim Lovell’s story about the Apollo 13 mission and is pretty detailed.
Funny side story, when they were making the movie deal, they asked who he wanted to play himself, and he said without hesitation “Kevin Costner.” They came back and said Costner wasn’t available (remember when Waterworld had their set burn down and it had to be rebuilt and had major cost/time overruns?), so they said “What would you think about Tom Hanks?” and he said “who??”
A Man on the Moon- Andrew Chaikin
In depth history on the Apollo program. Phenomenal book.
So not exactly what you’re asking for but something you might enjoy still. On the heavy industry side, The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager. It’s about Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch and the invention of synthetic nitrogen fixation, basically the process that now feeds half the world. Reads like a thriller despite being industrial chemistry history. If you like the ‘massive project that changed civilization’ angle from Kranz, this scratches that itch a bit?