as told to (your name here)

Book Review

[Ed. Note: This is boring. Skip it. Don't say we didn't warn you.]

Both Sides of the Moon - by David Scott & Alexei Leonov

The latest astrobiography to hit my shelves is that of two people doing the same thing at the same time, from different parts of the world. Dave Scott joined NASA as part of the 3rd group of astronauts, while Alexei Leonov was one of the first Soviet cosmonauts to join their program. Both Sides of the Moon tells the stories of their lives, training for missions to go to the moon. Leonov was the first man to perform a spacewalk outside his spacecraft but, due to politics and program failures, did not fly again until the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. Dave Scott flew with Neil Armstrong on Gemini 8, piloted Apollo 9, and commanded Apollo 15, walking on the moon. The story flips back and forth between the American and Soviet perspectives, maintaining a more or less consistent timeline. It is definitely unique, to read a chapter about one side, then read the following chapter about the other's reaction to the previous event.

Unfortunately there's nothing in the American side of the story that hasn't already been told. The personal details of Scott's life are few and far between, so the reader doesn't grow too attached to him. The story of the Soviet race to the moon has been better documented elsewhere, but the personal details of Leonov's life are the real gem of this book. Leonov recounts his childhood as well as personal stories of Korolev and Gagarin, bringing them to life like no other author to date. Interestingly, Leonov pulls no punches in his criticism of the Soviet program, its leaders, and the pervasive secrecy of the era.

If you're a fan of spaceflight history, read the book for the Leonov side of the moon. The American side has been better told in Wolfe's The Right Stuff, Chaikin's A Man on the Moon, and Collins' Carrying the Fire. Suggested reading for more on the Soviet program includes Harford's Korolev, Oberg's Red Star in Orbit, and Lebedev's Diary of a Cosmonaut.

---

Now Reading: The Art of Happiness

posted by tinyhands @ 11:59 PM