Challenger
A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd
Publishing:5th Jun '25
£10.99
This title is due to be published on 5th June, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£25.00(9780241543696)
'Gripping' ED CAESAR • 'Masterly' GEOFF DYER • 'Incredible' TIM HARFORD • 'A universal story that transcends time' NEW YORK TIMES • 'Superb' DAILY TELEGRAPH • 'We know what’s going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless' THE TIMES
** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **
** WINNER OF THE KIRKUS BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024 **
The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research – this is riveting history that reads like a thriller.
On the morning of 28 January 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included 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, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It’s a compelling tale of optimism and ingenuity shattered by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubristic ‘go fever’; and of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers determined to bring the truth to light.
With astonishing clarity and narrative verve, Adam Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, 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, fascinating science and shocking political infighting, Challenger brings to life a turning point in our history. The result is an even more complex and extraordinary story than any of us remembered – or thought possible.
No book that I’ve reviewed in the past ten years has disturbed me quite like this one. I cried for McAuliffe and her fellow crew members, whose innocent ideals of space exploration were so cruelly exploited. Higginbotham tells this tragic story with superb dramatic instinct — we know what’s going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *
Superb . . . authoritative and immediate – scrupulous history which has the ripping compulsion of the best reporting -- Alex Diggins * Daily Telegraph *
A fascinating and superbly researchedaccount of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger soon after take off. A masterly blend of human drama, science and political infighting * Observer *
Definitive . . . a gripping an nuanced story of serial failure . . . we know how this awful story ends: but Higginbotham builds suspense in contrasting knowledge with ignorance; in showing how men and women tried to do their best for the grand dream of space flight and were too often thwarted -- Erica Wagner * New Statesman *
A masterly example of how meticulous research and adherence to factual detail can build a narrative of almost unbearable suspense. At the same time, with the outcome known from the beginning, the story has the implacable power of tragic inevitability -- Geoff Dyer
Gripping and memorable, a definitive account of an American tragedy -- Ed Caesar
Deep research, gripping writing and a chilling story. This is an incredible book -- Tim Harford, author of How To Make The World Add Up
In Higginbotham’s deft hands, the human element — sometimes heroic, sometimes cloaked in doublespeak and bluster — shines through the many technical aspects of this story, a constant reminder that every decision was made by people weighing risks versus expediency, their minds distorted by power, money, politics and yes-men. It’s a universal story that transcends time, from Napoleon’s decision to attack Russia to the recent Boeing 737 Max debacle -- Rachel Slade * New York Times *
Both riveting and illuminating -- Roger D. Launius * Times Literary Supplement *
Higginbotham has written the definitive account of the tragedy, revealing both the history of the space shuttle programme and the stories of the people who lost their lives -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail, Best Science Books of 2024 *
ISBN: 9780241994269
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 35mm
Weight: 200g
448 pages