Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight by Jay Barbree

Book Preface

Neil Armstrong was an aviator. He flew everything heavier-than-air—even gliders. He never boasted, never lobbied to be the first to walk on the moon, yet it would be difficult to find another who achieved as much in a lifetime.

Once when we were talking about his first step on the lunar surface, I told Neil that I was not normally a jealous person, but for him I would make an exception.

He was never comfortable with fame, hated talking about himself, so how do you write a book about Neil Armstrong’s life of flight?

It helps if you are Jay Barbree, a friend and a pilot.

Barbree covered every one of our spaceflights for the NBC networks, all 166, and Neil wrote, “Jay Barbree is one of the world’s most experienced space journalists devoted to getting it right, and he does.”

This is the story of Neil Armstrong from the time he flew combat missions in the Korean War, flew a rocket plane called the X-15 to the edge of space, saved his Gemini 8 by flying the first emergency return from Earth orbit, and then flew Apollo 11 to the moon’s Sea of Tranquility. There he made the first footprints on someplace other than Earth.

If you turn the page, I think you will be pleased.