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“In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger launched to total disaster, killing the 7 people aboard, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, within 73 seconds, all while America watched. This is a serious emotional account of those events. In great detail this book takes you through the years before the Challenger. It includes the first Apollo disaster that gives you the background for what’s to come with the Challenger tragedy. It covers everything before and after the explosion in chronological order. The author explains how the tragedy could have been avoided if certain decisions would have been made before the flight. . There were very brave admirable men who chose to do the right thing and tell what really happened the day before the Challenger went up. Even though it's a tragic subject, this is a gripping true story, and I enjoyed the read! ”
— Sandra • Underground Books
Bookseller recommendation
“This account of the Challenger disaster is thorough and absolutely fascinating! I have always been obsessed with the space program so I went into it thinking I knew the story pretty well. But Adam does a great job adding extra details and perspectives not normally shared! The narrator is fantastic and you will definitely find yourself binging this book!”
— Nicole • Bettie's Pages
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Stunning…A heart-pounding thriller…Challenger is a remarkable book.” —The Atlantic • “Superb…Compelling and exhaustively researched.” —The Washington Post • “Devastating…A universal story that transcends time.” —The New York Times • “Gripping history.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster, based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research—a riveting history that reads like a thriller.
On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in twentieth-century history—one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told.
Based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space follows a handful of central protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, and offers a detailed account of the tragedy itself and the investigation afterward. It’s a compelling tale of ambition and ingenuity undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public.
Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program and the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster, as well as the designers, engineers, and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama and fascinating and absorbing science, Challenger identifies a turning point in history—and brings to life an even more complex and astonishing story than we remember.
Adam Higginbotham has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Wired, GQ, and Smithsonian. He is the author of Midnight in Chernobyl, which was the winner of the William E. Colby Award and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, and Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space. He lives with his family in New York City.