Book Description
This practical handbook for Space Mission Engineering draws on leading aerospace experts to carry readers through mission design, from orbit selection to ground ops. SMAD III updates the technology, provides greater emphasis on small spacecraft design and the cost-reduction process, and includes more detail on multi-satellite manufacturing, space computers, payload design and autonomous systems.
Customer Reviews:
a good introduction to space .......2007-10-17
this book was recommended by my professor and i received in about a week in standard shipping
space mission analysis.......2007-10-14
the book is grt and is highly recommended for all the people who wants to study space craft system .It is the bible for space mission studies
My Most-Used Astronautics Reference Book.......2007-03-11
Over 5 years as an aerospace engineer at Boeing and Lockheed Martin, I have used this book far more than any other for astronautics. This is not only an excellent reference, but a good textbook, in fact the only textbook required for my entire Master's degree. Many engineers simply say "look at Wertz" to find whatever answers you need.
A great book for understanding spacecraft systems........2007-01-23
This is essential reading for anyone who works in the field of spacecraft hardware regardless if it is at the component level or the spacecraft level. This book adequately presents an overview of each of the subsystems that comprise a spacecraft. Indeed much of these systems are similar for payloads as well just in a scaled down version. Information is provided in such a way as to efficiently teach how these subsystems interact with each other as well as how the requirements flow down from the top mission or science level requirements into the detailed functional and performance requirements. This book captures the interrelation of the programmatic requirements of budgets and schedules in helping define what technical solutions are implemented for the aforementioned mission or science requirements.
This book will help all spacecraft mangers get a top level view of various subsystems such that he or she can make adequate trade studies. This book will help the systems engineer communicate requirements across the subsystem interfaces. This book will help the subsystem and component level engineers understand how the interfaces of their work carry over throughout the spacecraft as well as to understand the inputs that go into their specific area.
Good, but not Great.......2006-05-03
This book is the third edition of the author's previous work and is the collective writings from dozens of engineers who specialize in spacecraft systems design, space mission definition and operations and testing as well as a variety of other topics. While this book provides an excellent general overview of a variety of topics and the basics for designing and developing a space mission, more specialized materials are needed to develop specialized spacecraft systems, such as Guidance and Navigation. It is important to note that this book is geared to unmanned satellites and space probes and there is little material related to manned spaceflight.
As someone who has worked in the aerospace industry for almost two decades, I found the book slightly lacking in several areas. In addition to the previously noted areas, I found that some of the contributing authors focused primarily their specific projects. Even with these minor faults, this book provides the reader or developer of space missions, with a comprehensive overview of all the pieces that are needed to develop a spacecraft for a space mission.
Finally, it should be noted that this book is highly technical and not geared towards the casual reader who is interested general spaceflight.
Book Description
An incredible, true-life adventure set on the most dangerous frontier of all—outer spaceIn the nearly forty years since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, space travel has come to be seen as a routine enterprise—at least until the shuttle Columbia disintegrated like the Challenger before it, reminding us, once again, that the dangers are all too real.
Too Far from Home vividly captures the hazardous realities of space travel. Every time an astronaut makes the trip into space, he faces the possibility of death from the slightest mechanical error or instance of bad luck: a cracked O-ring, an errant piece of space junk, an oxygen leak . . . There are a myriad of frighteningly probable events that would result in an astronaut’s death. In fact, twenty-one people who have attempted the journey have been killed.
Yet for a special breed of individual, the call of space is worth the risk. Men such as U.S. astronauts Donald Pettit and Kenneth Bowersox, and Russian flight engineer Nikolai Budarin, who in November 2002 left on what was to be a routine fourteen-week mission maintaining the International Space Station.
But then, on February 1, 2003, the Columbia exploded beneath them. Despite the numerous news reports examining the tragedy, the public remained largely unaware that three men remained orbiting the earth. With the launch program suspended indefinitely, these astronauts had suddenly lost their ride home.
Too Far from Home chronicles the efforts of the beleaguered Mission Controls in Houston and Moscow as they work frantically against the clock to bring their men safely back to Earth, ultimately settling on a plan that felt, at best, like a long shot.
Latched to the side of the space station was a Russian-built Soyuz TMA-1 capsule, whose technology dated from the late 1960s (in 1971 a malfunction in the Soyuz 11 capsule left three Russian astronauts dead.) Despite the inherent danger, the Soyuz became the only hope to return Bowersox, Budarin, and Pettit home.
Chris Jones writes beautifully of the majesty and mystique of space travel, while reminding us all how perilous it is to soar beyond the sky.
Customer Reviews:
Great for those with interest in life in space........2007-09-15
I really enjoyed this book. I have always had an interest in the space program since I grew up in Florida and would watch most launches when I was in grade school. There were just a few parts of the book that might not be totally accurate due to the writers background as a sports writer and that is why I gave 4 stars. Happy reading!
stuck in space..........2007-07-30
In February of 2003 the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and all seven astronauts aboard were lost. The news shattered the pysche of our nation and as TOO FAR FROM HOME strongly details the last people to see them and who felt their loss so acutely were the 3 astronauts aboard the International Space Station who had just seen Columbia disenage from station. Americans Kenneth Bowersox, and Don Pettit and Russian Nikolai Budarin were left with only the outdated Soviet capsule Soyuz to get back home. With the mission estended and no end in sight the author richly details life aboard the ISS and all the inherent risks of life in space and all the spectacular reasons why men and women risk their lives to be in space.
Couldn't put this book down!.......2007-07-25
I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing is beautiful and very descriptive. It reads like a science fiction book. It is very fast-paced and easy reading.
In November 2002, ten astronauts left Earth aboard the space shuttle Columbia headed for the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was to depart much earlier, but problems, both technical and weather related, marred the launch. On one launch date, when the astronauts were already strapped-in in their seats aboard space shuttle Columbia, bad weather in their emergency landing site in Spain prevented the launch. The astronauts had to return home. On another occasion, a technical fault cancelled the launch. When the new launch date in November was approaching, the astronauts were wandering if more problems would suddenly appear and prevent another launch. Some astronauts believed that the mission had a bad luck aura around it, but did not discuss it openly. One astronaut had told his relatives that he was never coming back home again!
The launch did take place on November 2002, and to spectators on the ground and to the astronauts aboard Columbia the launch was routine and successful. But cameras aboard Columbia transmitted a different image to Mission Control. A piece was dislodged during the launch and hit critical heat shields located underside the shuttle. After reviewing the tape hundreds of times, Mission Control concluded that the piece must have bounced off the underside of the shuttle causing no damage.
On February 1, 2003, only seven of the ten astronauts were heading back to Earth aboard Columbia after bidding farewell to the three astronauts they left behind in the International Space Station. Sadly, they never made it back home. On re-entry, as witnessed by millions of spectators worldwide, Columbia exploded, killing all seven astronauts onboard. Contrary to what Mission Control thought at first, the heat shields were damaged during the launch. The three astronauts left behind in the International Space Station -- Donald Petit, Kenneth Bowersox, and Russian flight engineer Nikolai Budarin -- found themselves too far from home, stranded on the International Space Station!
Mission Controls in Houston and Moscow worked around the clock to bring back the astronauts safely. Launching another Space Shuttle was not an option, since further NASA space shuttle launches were suspended for months, perhaps years. There was also the problem of how to provide the stranded astronauts with enough supplies while they remained in space. Ultimately, they had to settle to a plan that, according to the author, was risky to say the least. Latched to the side of the space station was a Russian-built Soyuz TMA-1 capsule with outdated technology and, according to the Americans, a questionable safety record. In 1971 a malfunction in the Soyuz 11 capsule left three Russian cosmonauts dead (However, as one reviewer on amazon.com pointed out, all Soyuz crews since that mission have worn full pressure suits during launch and entry as a safeguard against that failure happening again). Furthermore, the Soyuz TMA-1 capsule hadn't been flight tested before (there was never a need to use it)! However, as far as the Russians were concerned, the Soyuz was safe and the only way to bring the astronauts back home.
Despite the inherent danger, the Soyuz became the only hope to return Bowersox, Budarin, and Petit home. Interestingly, though, the three astronauts had such a great time aboard the International Space Station that none of them wanted to return home when they were relieved. Aboard the Soyuz, the three astronauts eventually took "an accelerated, lung-crushing dive" back to earth. Their account aboard the Soyuz is remarkable, and will leave you gasping for air!
The author goes back to the history of the space race with Russia; with the first Russian in space; to animals sent in rockets to space; Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon; the Russian space station; and finally to the International Space Station. You will learn a lot of things about life in space that you probably did not know about, assuming you have not read such material before like me. For example, many early astronauts aboard space stations felt lonely and depressed and longed for home. All the earlier astronauts retired from NASA soon after their return from space! Two astronauts actually went on strike for a whole day while on a space station, and refused to continue their mission. They too retired from NASA on their return. However, the Russian cosmonauts fared much better. They adapted well to the loneliness and confines of space, unlike their American counterparts. According to the author, this is due to the simple life of the Russians as compared to the luxurious and comfortable life Americans lead and are used to.
You will learn a lot about the amazing beauty of a space walk, and how astronauts are so mesmerized by the beauty that they forget themselves, floating as in a trance towards Earth. One astronaut almost was lost in this way if it wasn't for another astronaut pulling him back! I actually went to my video store and bought an Imax DVD of a spacewalk! On the funny side, you'll learn how astronauts "take a crap" in zero gravity, and some quite embarrassing situations!
Here's some negative criticism from other reviewers on amazon.com:
"This author skips around with what in the movie business would be called flashbacks; a few of these are fine but I think this author over used them."
"Felt like there was a little too much effort put into making this into a Manly Tale. Everything seems a little too exaggerated -- the spicy language, the icy fear, the burning decisions. Maybe this style would have held up without question in a magazine, but at the novel's length, I kept wondering, "How do you know?" The little details started to feel like some of them were imagined or embellished; the writing was popping me out of being lost in the scene."
Overall, I highly recommend this book if you have never read non-fiction books on space before.
Too far from home: A story of Life and Death in Space.......2007-07-05
Arived quickly in time for a flight to Atlanta and back, was able to get entirely through it during both flights, However I generly like a lininar book, this author skips around with what in the movie business would be called flashbacks, a few of these are fine but I think this author over used them.
This is as good as it gets............2007-06-27
Ordinarily I wouldn't read a book on space travel because it's not something I've ever had an interest in. I picked the book up for my husband. I'm certainly glad I opened it myself. I read one of the comments where the person thought that Chris Jones should stick to what he knows, sports. I think it's obvious that Chris IS sticking to what he knows, the heart and soul that fills a person up and pushes them to go for the impossible. He understands the human spirit and writes about it beautifully. Space travel is a huge, poetic, heroic, incredible achievement that somehow I viewed with a blase' attitude -- Ho-hum, man in space.... What was I thinking! Thanks to Chris I will now always view it with a lump in my throat and gratitude to the remarkable men and women who make it happen.
Book Description
Praxis Log of Manned Spaceflight 1961-2006 will open with a section entitled: Quest for Space, which will provide an explanation of the methods employed to get in and out of orbit and brief overviews of the different international space programmes. It will be a complete chronological log of all attempted orbital manned spaceflights, including the X-15 "astroflights" of the 1960s that only achieved an altitude of c. 50 miles and the two 1961 Mercury and Redstone missions which were non-orbital. There will be an image depicting each manned spaceflight, and data boxes containing brief biographies of all the space travellers and basic flight data. The main text will be a narrative of each mission, its highlights and accomplishments, including those strange facts and humorous stories that are connected to every mission.
By targeting publication in September 2006, the return to flight of the Shuttle, two more Soyuz TMA launches and, quite possibly, a second Chinese manned mission. The resulting book will be a handy reference to all manned spaceflights, the names astronauts and cosmonauts who flew on each mission, and their roles and accomplishments. Recent announcements of a return to the Moon and eventual manned flights to Mars, as new hardware and procedures are developed to support these long-range programs, emphasizes the case for future updates of this book.
Customer Reviews:
Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 .......2007-06-27
A very comprehensive account of manned space flight. The book contains a time period overview of space travel plus a detailed account of each flight. Enjoyable reading. A must-have for all space buffs!
Who did what - and When?.......2007-04-20
This one is big as a medium size telephone directory - around 820 pages - but it has to be. Chronicling some 250 space flight since April 12, 1961 up to September 29, 2006, and the participants from Yuri Gagarin to Anousheh Ansari, in lucid prose and memory-stirring photographs, this is a worthy follow-up of the Tim Furniss earlier chronicling of the first 103 space flights. That milestone was passed in April 1983. We tend to equal "space flight" with "flights to Earth Orbit" or "Flight to the Moon", but suborbital flight to more than 80 kilometres - 13 in the X-15 rocket plane and 3 in the comercial "Spaceship One" are included as official flights that reached space. Aborts during launches are also included, as are the incredibly sad listings of the crew of STS 51-L, where Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe attained only 1 minute of spaceflight experience, before that ascent was so cruelly - and unnecessarily - terminated.
The Authors have visely chosen to present all the numerical data in both metric and imperial measurement. If I have to search for something missing, I would wish for an alphabetic index of persons, who participated in which flight style, but then the size of this volume, already in that class which seriously hampers the compulsory bed-reader, clearly would have grown quite out of hand. Let us be thankful for the mass of facts we already have got here.
For the veteran armchair astronaut this volume brings back a lot of memories, and still succeeds in serving up a plethora of data that has slipped the memory over those 45 years. For the young reader, this presents the scope of Mankinds first forays off our planetary shores and trips to the offshore island of the Moon. It's an incredible history after all, and it's all here.
A very great book.......2007-03-30
I was really impressed by the Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006.
Simply the best !!! A book with many details of each manned space mission since the Gagarin's flight. Highly recommended. More than 820 pages rich with any type of information.
A must have!.......2007-02-11
An amazing publication: covers Vostok-1 (Gagarin) to Soyuz TMA-9. Tons of info for each flight: International designation; launched; Launch site; Landed; Landing site; Launch vehicle (for the shuttle you have the tank number, the SRB set and the SSME engines); Duration; Callsign; Objective; Flight Crew; Flight Log and finally Milestones. Also three chapters cover respectively: Reaching the heavens (access/method; Space flight methods/launch systems); The Quest for Space; The orbital programmes (Vostok, Mercury, Apollo, Shuttle, Salyut, Shenzhou etc..).
An outstand reference works for anybody who is interested in the history of spaceflight!
A must have on one's bookshelf.
Average customer rating:
- Average, just average
- Insight into historic Star Wars Universe....
- Wonderful - Zahn outdoes himself!
- Outbound Flight launches from the pages
- Some parts good Some parts that could have been better
|
Outbound Flight (Star Wars)
Timothy Zahn
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Movie Tie-Ins
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Adventure
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Star Wars
| Media Series
| Series
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Space Opera
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Movie Tie-Ins
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Adventure
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Media Series
| Series
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Betrayal (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 1)
-
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars)
-
Survivor's Quest (Star Wars)
-
The Swarm War (Star Wars: Dark Nest, Book 3)
-
Bloodlines (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 2)
ASIN: 034545684X
Release Date: 2007-01-30 |
Book Description
It began as the ultimate voyage of discovery–only to become the stuff of lost Republic legend . . . and a dark chapter in Jedi history. Now, at last, acclaimed author Timothy Zahn returns to tell the whole extraordinary story of the remarkable–and doomed–Outbound Flight Project.
The Clone Wars have yet to erupt when Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth petitions the Senate for support of a singularly ambitious undertaking. Six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and fifty thousand men, women, and children will embark–aboard a gargantuan vessel, equipped for years of travel–on a mission to contact intelligent life and colonize undiscovered worlds beyond the known galaxy. The government bureaucracy threatens to scuttle the expedition before it can even start–until Master C’baoth foils a murderous conspiracy plot, winning him the political capital he needs to set in motion the dream of Outbound Flight.
Or so it would seem. For unknown to the famed Jedi Master, the successful launch of the mission is secretly being orchestrated by an unlikely ally: the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who has his own reasons for wanting Outbound Flight to move forward . . . and, ultimately, to fail.
Yet Darth Sidious is not the mission’s most dangerous challenge. Once underway, the starship crosses paths at the edge of Unknown Space with the forces of the alien Chiss Ascendancy and the brilliant mastermind best known as “Thrawn.” Even Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, aboard Outbound Flight with his young Padawan student, Anakin Skywalker, cannot help avert disaster. Thus what begins as a peaceful Jedi mission is violently transformed into an all-out war for survival against staggering odds–and the most diabolical of adversaries.
Timothy Zahn’s unique mix of espionage, political gamesmanship, and deadly interstellar combat breathes electrifying life into a Star Wars legend.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Average, just average.......2007-10-05
Star War book tie-in's suffer from the need to absolutely bring in the movie characters, whether needed or not, and this book is a perfect example of it. The plot of the novel has been outlined elsewhere, so I'll just provide my take on this type of novel.
The story itself is mildly interesting and Zahn does the usual pedestrian effort that any author does when they are writing a tie-in novel according to the specifications provided to him or her. Obi-Wan and Anikan are dragged in, as he and the others always are, they do a couple of things that really don't matter, and then leave. Their affect on the story is nill. The rest of the story and the introduction of the Chiss is, as I mentioned before, mildly interesting, but hardly original.
My objection to these stories is the deus ex machine requirement to bring in the main characters - Luke, Leia, Han, et al into every book regardless of whether it makes logical sense. This limits the books because they (the characters) must be shoehorned in no matter what. This makes for awkward story telling at best. Most of the time all you really get is a mediocre, pre-digested book, written by authors who have sold their writing abilities and given up their creativity.
Overall, the genre is hurt by this pabulum that faceless corporate executives think is SF. Get your self-respect back. Read good SF. Start with Iain M. Banks and discover intelligent SF
Insight into historic Star Wars Universe...........2007-09-30
Many writers are part of the Star Wars legacy, but none of them equal the man who first brought Star Wars back to fans everywhere in 1992 with "Heir to the Empire", Timothy Zahn. Zahn returns to the Star Wars universe with his New York Times Bestseller "Outbound Flight", finally telling a story steeped in Star Wars lore.
This is the story of the doomed "Outbound Flight", a project sponsored by Jedi Master C'boath to chart the Unknown Regions for new life or potential threats. Also at stake is the relocation of Jedi from the ravages of the Separatist Wars to rejuvenate a weary, stagnant Jedi Order with flesh blood and new ideology.
However, a shadowy threat lurks in the Unknown Regions, an alien species called the Chiss. Among them is a highly skilled commander known as "Thrawn", who's willing to do what he must in order to protect his people. Dark machinations reach into the Unknown Regions, aimed at destroying the Jedi, and they draw a reluctant Thrawn into a conflict with Outbound Flight that he has no intention of losing.
Zahn's in top form with "Outbound Flight", showing why he's easily one of the best Star Wars writers in the game. His knowledge of George Lucas' creation is impressive, and "Outbound Flight" fits easily into the established "canon", as if it was drawn from Lucas's scripts. Zahn handles these legendary characters and situations with reverence and respect, while making an adventure that's far more than just paying homage.
Wonderful - Zahn outdoes himself!.......2007-09-05
This book is probably my new favorite work of Zahn. He is truly a Master. The Thrawn trilogy was my first foray into Star Wars EU novels, and the Hand of Thrawn duology was next. What amazed me was the ability of Mr. Zahn to tie together the threads of those stories, along with Survivor's Quest and Allegiance (connected only after careful perusal)in this one book. The irony of the smuggler's alliance in this, the trilogy, and the later duology was masterful. I liked Card'as as a charachter in the duology, very happy to see him here. I cannot get enough Thrawn either! I really would have like to have seen his character incorporated into the NJO series, but I guess that would have made the battles too short, the war too easy. I can only hope that the character is somehow brought back, or that there is more fiction about him...maybe his rise to power after becoming an imperial? Maybe about his voyages in the unknown regions? This book is wonderful. One word of caution, though. You should probably read the books in order of their release to fully enjoy them to the maximum level, to see what magnificent tapestry that Mr. Zahn has woven for us. This helps you see the characters later, including the some of the races included in the other novel. You also are allowed to see how characters portrayed one way in a later novel came to that way of thinking. Thanks for reading my review, please read this book. 'Nuff said.
Outbound Flight launches from the pages.......2007-08-17
Timothy Zahn, often considered the Father of Star Wars Expanded Universe, returns to the Galaxy Far, Far Away to detail the story behind Outbound Flight, Jorus C'baoth, and, most importantly, Thrawn. Since he is my favorite author, I definitely couldn't miss this one.
Plot:
Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth has come up with the ultimate mission: to send a group of beings out beyond the Republic, to the Unknown Regions to colonize and perhaps penetrate to the next galaxy. After winning approval from the Senate, he begins his mission. Unbeknownst to him, Darth Sidious fears this mission will flush out hidden enemies that the fragmented Republic is not prepared to fight so he sends team to destroy Outbound Flight.
Meanwhile, Jorj Cardas, Maris Ferasi, and Dubrak Quennto flee a Hutt's wrath and end up smack dab in the Unknown Regions at the mercy of the Chiss Defense Fleet, commanded by the mysterious Thrawn who has many schemes up his sleeve.
Good:
One word: Thrawn. He is a brilliant military mastermind, able to penetrate people's thoughts and desires and determine rather accurately how they will react to a certain set of circumstances. In my opinion, he is the best part of the book.
Some people aren't fond of how Obi-Wan and Anakin appear in this book, and while they are trivial, I was very impressed with how Timothy Zahn was about to translate Obi-Wan to the written word. Anakin is flat, but what do you expect for a fifteen year old Padawan?
Jorj Cardas is another good character. He is a rather real guy, someone you can sympathize with and relate to. I found his parts more enjoyable in many aspects than any of the others (but part of that was because it was through his parts I learned more about Thrawn).
I enjoyed reading how Maris admired Thrawn. It would have been cool had Zahn spent more time on a perhaps romance between the two (although that would probably have disrupted the storyline and dragged it down some).
Zahn also did a grand job with the plot (minus a few hiccups at the beginning). He weaves the story between the Jedi (Lorana and Obi-Wan), Jorj, and Doriana, Palpatine's duplicitous aide. Through their eyes, we get to see how they all intertwine and the fate of the Outbound Flight. The ending is powerful, bittersweet and reminiscent of Revenge of the Sith (I half wanted to cry at the end!). Although I discovered partially how the tragedy unfolded (but then, everyone had a vague idea), I read on intrigued and hoping that it wouldn't yield the grim results I speculated.
Lastly, Zahn does a great job with the dialogue, the pacing, and other narration. Obi-Wan talked like Obi-Wan. Palpatine was Palpatine. His own characters (Jorj, Jorus, Thrawn, etc.) are more "malleable" in the sense that his books are the ones in which they primarily turn up, but their characters are pretty much the same as in other materials. Zahn knows how to evenly pace his story, not jolting you through many, many years over 5 pages and slowing to a halt to cover a few days in 200+ pages. Further, his narration is delightful to read.
Bad:
I hadn't thought that Jorus C'baoth would have been a jerk. I understand why his clone was crazy, and I guess I knew that he was likely crazy, but somehow, I expected Jorus to be different than in this portrayal.
Also, I found Lorana a little difficult as a character. Here, she has been C'baoth's Padawan for 10+ years, putting up with his arrogance, self-importance, and rudeness, and she becomes a mediocre Jedi? I would have thought she would have been as arrogant, self-important, and rude as her Master, not a wimpy doormat!
Lastly, although it is important that Thrawn learn Basic, the whole concept of the language lessons at the beginning is a little corny.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Typical Star Wars made-up "colorful language" or alluded to. Maris and Quennto are said to share a room. Violence is typical Star Wars fare (although aliens are told to have been cut nearly in half by laser fire and are used as human shields).
Overall:
Zahn, pat yourself on the back. Another job well done! My only complaint? Where's the story about Thrawn's rise to power?
Some parts good Some parts that could have been better.......2007-08-07
In Survivor's Quest Luke and Mara find the remains of the Outbound Flight. This is of course what this book is about. Jedi Master C'Baoth wants to take a ship off for colonization and answers questions raised on in Survivor's Quest. After years of debating the Jedi Council have finally agreed to it but they want Obi Wan to accompany C'Baoth because they are concerned about C'Baoth. After reading the book the Jedi were right to be concerned. C'Baoth was as crazy in live as he was as a Clone in his "afterlife". The people chosen for this colonization is all have children who are strong in the Force and C'Baoth wants to take them from their parents and train them personally whether their parents want to give them up or not. The book puts an interesting light on how Jedi are brought into the Jedi Order and separated from their families without ever knowing them that has never been explored I had hoped it would be even more explored in this one. The Jedi except for Anakin are brought into the the Jedi order as babies their for they never actually get to make the decision for themselves if the Jedi was really where they wanted to be. I really though this was where the story was going to go because we have one Jedi Lorana who's been sensing someone in the Force following her only to learn its her brother Dean who has always resented his sister because of the way his parents placed Lorana in an exalted place and always above Dean. I had hoped this would be explored a little more on both sides like how Lorana felt about meeting a brother she never knew or ponder things a bit but there's none of that which disappointed me. Sure the book was still really good but I think it would have been even better to have explored this gray area in the Jedi. She could have had a little bit of a struggle about learning about a brother the way we've seen Anakin struggle with his own mother and would have made for an interesting conversation at least to the two discuss it before Anakin got off the ship.
Book Description
The sequel to Into the Looking Glass. William Weaver, PhD. and SEAL Chief Adams are back and Bill got himself a ship! The former SSBN Nebraska has been converted, using mostly garage mechanics and baling wire, into a warp ship ready to go "out there." But as everyone knows, the people who really are going to bear the brunt are the poor Security guys, Force Recon Marines who are kept in the dark and fed manure all day. That is until they land on an alien planet, get partially wiped out and then load back up again. Ranging in topics from the best gun to kill armored space monsters to particle physics to cosmology to health and beauty tips, Vorpal Blade is a return to the "good old days" of SF when the science problems were intractable and the beasts were ugly. The monkeys are out in the space lanes and ready to rock. As soon as they get another roll of duct tape.
Customer Reviews:
awesome storytelling.......2007-10-13
This is turning out to be a great series. I cant wait to get my hands on the next one. This story combines the get in a spaceship and travel with military sci-fi. Like many books it starts slow, then gets good. It has an interesting ending. Keep pumping them out Mr. Ringo!
"Science" Fiction.......2007-10-04
Ringo and Taylor have put the Science back in Sci-fi. Reminiscent of the heady days of Heinlein and Azmov this exciting romp through interstellar space makes you wonder not 'if' it will happen, but when. With a great cast of characters and a universe of aliens as diverse as reality, how can you go wrong. Buy it, read it and enjoy.
Afterword.......2007-10-02
John Ringo writes in the Afterword of Vorpal Blade "I rarely look at reviews on Amazon. I have no patience for reading slush and less for Amazon reviews" I don't understand a writer who isn't interested in what his readers think, after all we buy his books. Mr. Ringo latest venture into the Looking Glass Universe is poorly done with too much discussion on how things work instead of action. I find the combination of John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor creates an uneven and not very interesting story. Mr. Ringo has always been one of my favorite authors but I will no longer buy books where he co-authors with a relatively unknown writer.
Hard Science or Bust.......2007-09-21
I really enjoyed Through the Looking Glass. Great premise, great writing, and wonderful plot and characters. This sequel was not so well written, not so well plotted, and lost a lot in the telling. I'll take more time reading through the next book before buying. Love Ringo, and read all his stuff with Weber, but this was not one of his finer efforts.
Ringo & Taylor bring back old school sci-fi!.......2007-09-13
John Ringo and Travis Taylor team up again to bring out a sequel to Ringo's 2005 Sci-Fi/action novel Into the Looking Glass. Thanks to the events in the first book the door has been opened for space exploration on a new scale as faster than light travel is now possible. So in order to scout out the neighborhood and protect against possible invasion by the alien Dreen, the humans and their allies cobble together their first faster than light spaceship: the Vorpal Blade.
The Ship was a former U.S. Navy nuclear missile submarine and now through alien technology, human ingenuity, and a lot of duct tape and bailing wire it is ready for its maiden voyage. Familiar characters Dr. William Weaver and SEAL Chief Adams are joined by a mixed bag of scientists, naval personnel and force recon marines (now the space marines). Their mission takes them to a number of different worlds and through encounters with aliens both friendly and hostile.
The book is a return to a more classic feel for sci-fi, with real monsters, aliens and strange worlds. Ringo's ability to write engaging military and small unit action stories combines well with Taylor's "techy" side, to give the reader a combination of action, adventure and science based-science fiction. The book especially shines in that it doesn't just depend on the monsters and aliens for tension. The very nature of travel on the first faster than light ship provide intense and often amusing segments to the book. The crew must deal with everything from gravity issues, to possibilities of space viruses to, the question of where in space is the best place to get a drink of water and more. All of this handled with a mix of ingenuity, luck and elbow grease.
As is the case with many of his works, real life rocket scientist Taylor brings the scientific side of the story to life for the readers. Concepts and theories are explained as they are encountered and this gives not only a realistic feel to the whole experience, but it also makes the reader feel a bit smarter for having read it. Ringo also brings his touch to the story with great attention to the details of the military aspects of the book. He helps cover everything from the practical (what kind of gun is best for killing armored aliens) to the political (which branch of the military will ultimately be responsible for the space program) with a lot of insight and humor.
Over all Vorpal Blade is an exciting, fun book to read. The story is fast paced enough to keep the reader going while at the same time not skipping many of the little details. Ringo and Taylor work well together and their combined work plays well to both of their strengths. Of course Vorpal Blade leaves a number of loose ends, but regular readers of the pair know that the prolific Ringo often crafts stories that require more than one volume to be told. That being said, Vorpal Blade works well as a stand alone book, but it leaves the door open for more adventures to come. Pick up a copy of John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor's Vorpal Blade by today and please keep your hands inside the vehicle until the ride comes to a complete stop!
Book Description
Here is a rare perspective on a story we only thought we knew. For Apollo 11, the first moon landing, is a story that belongs to many, not just the few and famous. It belongs to the seamstress who put together twenty-two layers of fabric for each space suit. To the engineers who created a special heat shield to protect the capsule during its fiery reentry. It belongs to the flight directors, camera designers, software experts, suit testers, telescope crew, aerospace technicians, photo developers, engineers, and navigators. Gathering direct quotes from some of these folks who worked behind the scenes, Catherine Thimmesh reveals their very human worries and concerns. Culling NASA transcripts, national archives, and stunning NASA photos from Apollo 11, she captures not only the sheer magnitude of this feat but also the dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance of the greatest team everthe team that worked to first put man on that great gray rock in the sky.
Customer Reviews:
Will use this in class........2007-05-12
I will use this book in my middle school curriculum when I teach about space. When I showed it to students, they pretty much just looked at the pictures. After they watched "Apollo 13" it made a lot more sense to them. Then they wanted to understand more about the technology available at the time. This book makes a great companion piece to "The Right Stuff" and "The Dish" as well. If you are trying to get a historical perspective on that time period and didn't live through it as some of us did, please do yourself a favor and read it. The current textbooks cannot portray the taste of adventure we felt each time the astronauts voyaged out into dangerous places,as students back home gathered around black and white TV's brought into the classrooms to watch splashdowns. Knowing that the support structures have to be so huge may help people both understand why it costs so much to run a space program as well as perhaps pursue careers in the aerospace industry that are not just in the small astronaut corps.
team moon.......2007-03-25
i thought this book was great. i added it to my classroom library and the students love it too.
A Good Read for all ages.......2007-01-10
Definitely a juvenile-oriented work, but nonetheless very interesting and full of information not generally provided in accounts of the first manned moon landing.
An Adventure in Science Fiction.......2006-11-22
Though I typically lean towards fantasy and adventure-themed novels, this was one of the few science fiction books I was able to appreciate, not only for its interesting word choice, but also for its unexpected suspense. The author of this book really paints an image in your mind. The beginning, for me, was something I had to somewhat struggle through, but once I got past it, I was able to dive into the past, understanding the fears of the unknown that the people of that time must have faced. What was it like to go to the moon, to step onto that land that no man can describe? And 400,000...that's no small number, just as it was no small feat to land Apollo 11 on the moon.
~From the reader
Simply Breathtaking.......2006-11-08
I apologize for paraphrasing the title of Dr. Jones's review, but it really is appropriate and fitting; the book does give you "a catch in the throat [and] a hint of a happy tear in [your] eye in admiration for the men and women of Apollo" on so many different levels. Through her compelling writing and her keen eye for selecting breathtaking photos (in Thimmesh's context, even black and white, mission control shots are "breathtaking"), as well as the stunning layout and design she herself put together for the book, Ms. Thimmesh truly impresses on the reader the incredible nature of the mission and the accomplishments of so many who contributed to the endeavor.
I would reiterate the comments dismissing out of hand Mr. Waldron's completely off the mark review (and would ask other readers to consider the response to Mr. Walderon's review by clicking on the comments to his review). It would be a shame if any reader (and particularly children who did not have the privilige of experiencing those historic events first hand) were disuaded from reading the book and sharing, at least at some level, in the wonderous accomplishments of so many. It is hard to understand how one could not encourage everyone they know to read this book; failing to do so would not only deprive someone of (re)experiencing the truly awe inspiring nature of this epic event, it also deprives those who did so much for mankind (and it is hard to overstate the importance of their accomplishments--if on no other level than the perspective it gave humanity on the chunk of rock they share with each other) of some long overdue recogintion.
This is truly a book that should be read by everyone--not just children--to try and regain that perspective. I recomend it wholeheartedly to everyone.
The book is Simply Breathtaking!
Book Description
he subject of integrated navigation systems covered in this book is designed for those directly involved with the design, integration, and test and evaluation of navigation systems. It is assumed that the reader has a background in mathematics, including calculus. Integrated navigation systems is the combination of an onboard navigation solution (position, velocity, and attitude) and independent navigation data (aids to navigation) to update or correct navigation solutions. In this book, this combination is accomplished with Kalman filter algorithms.
This presentation is segmented into two parts. In the first part, elements of basic mathematics, kinematics, equations describing navigation systems/sensors and their error models, aids to navigation, and Kalman filtering are developed. Detailed derivations are presented and examples are given to aid in the understanding of these elements of integrated navigation systems. Problems are included to expand the application of the materials presented.
The second edition includes software, additional background material and exercises, and additional applications. Selected Chapter, Section, and Exercise related software is provided in a companion CD-ROM to enhance the learning experience of the reader. The included software has been developed using MATLAB/Simulink(TM) version 6.5 by The MathWorks, Inc. Additional material includes: integrating navigation aides for a navigation system's vertical axis; exercises that broaden the scope of problems encountered in integrated navigation systems; and the general problem of attitude determination and estimation whether for terrestrial or space applications. This edition provides a more complete foundation for addressing the different aspects of integrated navigation systems.
Customer Reviews:
A good book.......2001-03-31
The book is very precise and gives a lot of mathematical related things that's relevant to Navigation and Guidance. I somehow liked it's approach, mainly because it avoids a lot of descriptory jargons and talks straight in mathematics: the language of scientists and engineers! Before reading the book, a good hold of the mathematics related to linear system theory would be a definite plus, even though the it has an introductory chapter for the related mathematics.
A good book.......2001-03-31
The book is very precise and gives a lot of mathematical related things that's relevant to Navigation and Guidance. I somehow liked it's approach, mainly because it avoids a lot of descriptory jargons and talks straight in mathematics: the language of scientists and engineers! Before reading the book, a good hold of the mathematics related to system theory would be a definite plus. However, the book has an introductory chaper for the relevant mathematics too.
Book Description
Out of print for fifteen years, this is the classic account of how the United States got to the moon. It is a book for those who were part of Apollo and want to recapture the experience and for those of a new generation who want to know how it was done. It is an opinon shared by many Apollo veterans. Republished in 2004 with a new Foreword by the authors.
Customer Reviews:
A Book Every System Engineer Should Read.......2007-09-08
We used some parts of this book in our Systems Engineering lecture, at Turkish Military Academy Defense Sciences Institute (I was a student at the lecture). Later I purchased the book and read the whole book.
Of course I am not in a position to state the correctness and completeness of the contents. I rely on other people's comments on these criteria. But accepting the contents as correct and complete, the book clearly describes how a huge R&D project can be run (or can not be run), from every point of view. It is the next best thing after participation in a such project.
I believe every engineer and technical administrator has many things to learn from the book.
I highly recommend the book. I do not know whether it is also used as a lecture aid in other academies. If it is not so, another recommendation the the lecturers: The book contains one of the best case studies.
probably the best book of all about the Apollo program .......2007-08-26
full of great stories, names, dates, places, very accurate. another great book is Moon Lander. conspiracy buffs, read this book and all your questions will be answered. ( oh, i forgot, you dont want to really know the facts, sorry ).
Comprehensive!.......2007-06-12
I found this 'history' very comprehensive. Like all others on Apollo certain areas receive deeper treatment than others. I found it heavy going in parts but it is good value for money. A pity it was out of print for so long.
Absolutely Wonderful.......2007-05-27
This is the best book I've read to date on the moon program.
The intent of that statement is not meant to denegrate the other books in my collection (Lost Moon, Failure Is Not An Option, Flight My Life in Mission Control, A Man On The Moon, and Moon Lander) as they were all great books in this reviewer's opinion.
It's just that "Apollo" is a level above those.
A must read.......2007-04-11
For anyone who is intersted in learning about the Apollo moon program, this book, combined with Andrew Chaikin's "A Man on the Moon", should be considered the two essential baseline texts. The two compliment each other perfectly. AMOTM describes things primarily from the astronaut point of view, while this book fills in the perspective of the engineers, administrators, and controllers who made it all happen.
An excellent page-turner. If you're interested in Apollo, this book is not to be missed.
Book Description
How did the universe begin? How hot is the sun? How long does it take to get to the moon? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide: Space, Jack and Annie’s very own guide to the secrets of the universe. Including information on stars, planets, space travel, life on other planets, and much more!
Customer Reviews:
Snazzy Resource.......2007-08-08
The kids realy like the animations and presentations of this book. While it is definately not boring, the planets themselves get only one page each of factual info in super small text. The solar system overview chapter was great for group reading and was primarily what I used from the book, including a photo of a meteorite in comparison to the size of children. Translation: great as a fun addition to learning but not to replace hard fact texts and in-depth lesson plans.
----You don't need to read the accompanying Magic Tree House fiction book in order to use this research guide.
Not a fan of the Big Bang Theory.......2004-07-27
My kids love these research guide books from Magic Tree House writers but this one was a disappointment. One whole chapter was devoted to the big bang theory which we personally don't believe in. They should have skipped this chapter and focused on facts.
Space Travel.......2004-03-30
Once you are 100 miles above Earth, you are in space. Anything beyond Earth's atmosphere is space. There are a lot of planets, stars, and space rocks in space.
A spacecraft travels in space and carries supplies and people. A spacecraft has to go 25,000 miles per hour to get away from gravity and get into space. Spacecrafts have rockets to lift them into space.
Fuel is burning in the rocket at very hot temperatures. The hot gasses come out from the bottom and push the rocket up. Rockets were used 1,000 years ago as fireworks and weapons by the Chinese.
The Soviet Union and the Unites States had a race to have a spacecraft go into space. The Soviet Union sent the first satellite into space. A satellite is something that travels around a planet. The Soviet Union won that race. The United States put its own satellite into space and the race began.
An astronaut is a person from America that is trained to go into space. A cosmonaut is a person from Russia trained to go into space. A person from Russia, or a cosmonaut, orbited the Earth in less than two hours. He was the first person to orbit the Earth.
The United States and the Soviet Union had a race to get someone into space first. John F. Kennedy made a challenge to send someone to the moon before the 1960's were over. A lot of people worked for that goal.
Average customer rating:
- BostonMom
- If there were a 6-star rating...
- Great Drawings, Whimsical Story
- If you liked "Little Bunny" you'll love this...
- Taking imagination to a new level
|
Moon Plane
Peter McCarty
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Bedtime & Dreaming
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Astronomy & Space
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Transportation
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Picture Books
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Library Lion
-
Alphabet Explosion!: Search and Count from Alien to Zebra
-
Adele & Simon
-
Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)
-
Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons
ASIN: 0805079432
Release Date: 2006-08-22 |
Book Description
Can airplanes fly to the moon? This one can!
Above the clouds an airplane flies into the sky.
On the ground a small boy looks up.
A young boy sees a plane overhead and imagines himself in it, traveling all the way to the moon. What does he see on his way? With characteristically spare prose, Caldecott Honor winner Peter McCarty invites readers along for an imaginary trip from the earth to the moon and back again, visiting trains, planes, and boats along the way. McCarty’s luminous illustrations make the boy’s fantasy into a dreamlike journey that ends in his mother’s arms—a perfect way to end the day.
Customer Reviews:
BostonMom.......2007-08-29
I love to read Moon Plane aloud to my children. Not only is the story enchanting, but the prose is poetic and adds to it's dreamy nature. Some children's bedtime stories are cute. This one taps into those magic years of childhood. Enjoy it.
If there were a 6-star rating..........2007-07-31
This is the most wonderful children's book I've seen since E. Palmer Brown's Cheerful. My 9-month-old son literally crawls over the side of the glider and reaches for this book every night before going to bed and just beams at the pictures (and the font!). Now that he's crawling, he will often crawl over to his bookshelf and go directly for this book over others. It's amazing! Hurray for Peter McCarty!
Great Drawings, Whimsical Story.......2007-05-14
Who wouldn't like to fly? The little boy in the story does, and our grandson would like to fly too. In a plane. Over cars. To the moon. And then back to mom and his plane-covered comforter for a traveler's peaceful sleep. And, of course, that old moon is winking in the window.
If you liked "Little Bunny" you'll love this..........2007-02-17
I was first introduced to Peter McCarty's work with Little Bunny on the Move. I enjoyed the art in that book immensely, and the art in Moon Plane is of similar style and equal quality. In addition, I believe the text in this book is better. This is a superb young children's book.
Taking imagination to a new level.......2007-01-06
This book has some beautiful illustrations, and the simple story is very sweet. I read it to my 2.5-yr-old, and I was amazed at the way it hit home with him. He was not previously interested in either planes or moons, but he breathed the story in like air. It was the first time I saw him identify himself with a tale. "This is Liam," he would say, pointing to the boy on each page. I believe some part of him was truly convinced that he had flown a plane to the moon each night. His pajamas suddenly became his space suit. He loved the idea of "running back to Momo" and getting tucked into bed. "What is outside the window?" we ask him on the last page. "Did you fly a plane to the moon? And did you jump so high that you were flying like the plane?" "Yes!" he says, with delighted conviction. We just read the library book, but I am about to order a copy of our own for my second son's birthday, hoping that his first "flight" will be as magical as his older brother's was.
Books:
- Stalin's Wars: From World War to Cold War, 1939-1953
- The Cambridge Encyclopedia Of Hunters And Gatherers
- The Celebrity Address Directory & Autograph Collector's Guide
- The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House
- The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
- The End of Days: Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return (The Earth Chronicles)
- The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
- The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew-- Three Women Search for Understanding
- The Fifth of March: A Story of the Boston Massacre (Great Episodes)
- The File: A Personal History
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction
- Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, an
- Paraoxonase
- The Art of Writing Reasonable Organic Reaction Mechanisms
- Thinking and Writing about Literature: A Text and Anthology
- Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management
- 101 Arena Exercises: A Ringside Guide for Horse & Rider
- Roberto Burle Marx: Landscapes Reflected, Landscape Views 3
- The Birth of City Planning in the United States, 1840--1917
- Higher Plant Cell Respiration
Spacecraft Systems Engineering 3rd Edition
Fundamentals of Astrodynamics
Understanding Space
Space Vehicle Design (Aiaa Education Series)
The Space Environment: Implications for Spacecraft Design
