Carrying the Fire

An Astronaut's Journeys

| 4.68 | 3,499 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Andrew Chaikin, Alastair Humphreys, Amar Govindarajan, and 5 others. See all reviews

Ranked #5 in Aerospace Engineering, Ranked #17 in Space — see more rankings.

NASA astronaut Michael Collins trained as an experimental test pilot before venturing into space as a vital member of the Gemini 10 and Apollo 11 missions. In Carrying the Fire, his account of his voyages into space and the years of training that led up to them, Collins reveals the human tensions, the physical realities, and the personal emotions surrounding the early years of the space race. Collins provides readers with an insider's view of the space program and conveys the excitement and wonder of his journey to the moon. As skilled at writing as he is at piloting a spacecraft, Collins... more
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Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of Carrying the Fire from the world's leading experts.

Andrew Chaikin Readers really get their money’s worth with Mike because his book is readable, personal, poignant and funny. It sets the bar for astronaut books. (Source)

Alastair Humphreys I really enjoyed all the training, build-up side of things as well—and the human side of the book. It’s such a rocket science-type endeavour, but Michael Collins seems like a really nice guy. He manages to tell the story of this incredible effort by elite people in a way that’s quite relatable and interesting. (Source)

Amar Govindarajan Sir, that book you holding in your hand? Best one, I'm told, by an astronaut. You may even know the guy who wrote it. https://t.co/zNt5MfWqDZ (Source)

Neal Mann @AstroMCollins I wanted to write you a letter but couldn’t find out how to contact you, so it is great to see you on here. You did something that changed the world and then created something astonishingly gripping - both incredible achievements. Your book should be on every school syllabus. (Source)

Stephen Curry Great book - a wonderful insight into the Apollo project! https://t.co/YqwB72E3Uc (Source)

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