katsmiao's review
2.0
To be honest, I didn't finish the book.
I was so excited to pick up this book and read about Neil Armstrong, a great man and hero to many. Written by a "close friend", I expected to get the know the man.
The writing style (language, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure) is not very good. This reads less like a biography and more like a tell all (with the author trying to convince us, or maybe even himself, that Neil was his BFF).
I was so excited to pick up this book and read about Neil Armstrong, a great man and hero to many. Written by a "close friend", I expected to get the know the man.
The writing style (language, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure) is not very good. This reads less like a biography and more like a tell all (with the author trying to convince us, or maybe even himself, that Neil was his BFF).
mckenzierichardson's review
4.0
I received an ARC of this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
While this book is advertised as a biography of Neil Armstrong, it's really more of an overall account of the Space Race and space travel with a focus on Neil Armstrong. Regardless, it was an amazing book. The fact that Jay Barbree was actually friends with Armstrong makes it even more interesting as he recounts his own personal experiences with him. Overall, this is a great read; it covers some of Armstrong's life, various expeditions into space, and touches slightly (very, very slightly) on the whole moon conspiracy theory. I really enjoyed the last chapter in which Barbree recounts Armstrong's push for further exploration of the Earth-Moon system.
Since I have an ARC there were a few typos and grammatical errors, but nothing substantial that took away from the overall value of the book.
While this book is advertised as a biography of Neil Armstrong, it's really more of an overall account of the Space Race and space travel with a focus on Neil Armstrong. Regardless, it was an amazing book. The fact that Jay Barbree was actually friends with Armstrong makes it even more interesting as he recounts his own personal experiences with him. Overall, this is a great read; it covers some of Armstrong's life, various expeditions into space, and touches slightly (very, very slightly) on the whole moon conspiracy theory. I really enjoyed the last chapter in which Barbree recounts Armstrong's push for further exploration of the Earth-Moon system.
Since I have an ARC there were a few typos and grammatical errors, but nothing substantial that took away from the overall value of the book.
yakihammer's review
3.0
Honestly, a disappointing read given how remarkable a figure Armstrong was and the fact that the author was a friend of his.
jlynnelseauthor's review
5.0
I won an advanced reader copy from Goodreads. As such I will overlook the large amount of typos and sentences that were incomplete.
The story itself focuses on Neil Armstrong's life during the space race of the 1960s. As someone born in 1978 I never experienced these moments. To read about them with a focus on Neil Armstrong's insight and thoughts was a rare delight. The author clearly knows his stuff, most especially the man who walked on the moon first. I really enjoyed the personal aspect to the many momentous feets accomplished in space travel during this time.
I think some of the details about the spacecrafts and the astronaut jargon could have been further explained. I grew up in the time of the space shuttles, the time of the Challenger disaster, the time of Sally Ride. I wanted to be an astronaut! I love science fiction. But my knowledge base is very different from the Apollo flights. Learning about all the firsts, the learning curves, the successes, and failures was captivating. I loved all the photos. However, in the advanced reader copy I have, everything was black and white. Many photos were hard to make out (like the aurora borealis, the sun rising on the horizon, and other space shots). I will be viewing the book when its released. If the photos are still black and white, my rating will go down.
The storytelling is very well done which weaves between the personal and the scientific. My favorite chapter was a walk on the moon, which will probably be almost everyone's favorite. Seeing the moon through Armstrong's eyes was truly amazing. It would have been nice to include a broader span of Mr Armstrong's life, but I'm sure this was the way he would have wanted it focusing on the space program and those around him. The last couple chapters felt a little rushed but I understand that probably has to do with the lack of NASA activity. I was also left a little disappointed in the last couple pages. I think I would have liked a little more reflection on his life and perhaps his children giving their reflections instead of an email about a tall tale regarding something assumed that Mr Armstrong said. However this book is filled with respect and reverence for a truly remarkable person who didn't seek fame or glory but focused on those around him and those he loved.
The story itself focuses on Neil Armstrong's life during the space race of the 1960s. As someone born in 1978 I never experienced these moments. To read about them with a focus on Neil Armstrong's insight and thoughts was a rare delight. The author clearly knows his stuff, most especially the man who walked on the moon first. I really enjoyed the personal aspect to the many momentous feets accomplished in space travel during this time.
I think some of the details about the spacecrafts and the astronaut jargon could have been further explained. I grew up in the time of the space shuttles, the time of the Challenger disaster, the time of Sally Ride. I wanted to be an astronaut! I love science fiction. But my knowledge base is very different from the Apollo flights. Learning about all the firsts, the learning curves, the successes, and failures was captivating. I loved all the photos. However, in the advanced reader copy I have, everything was black and white. Many photos were hard to make out (like the aurora borealis, the sun rising on the horizon, and other space shots). I will be viewing the book when its released. If the photos are still black and white, my rating will go down.
The storytelling is very well done which weaves between the personal and the scientific. My favorite chapter was a walk on the moon, which will probably be almost everyone's favorite. Seeing the moon through Armstrong's eyes was truly amazing. It would have been nice to include a broader span of Mr Armstrong's life, but I'm sure this was the way he would have wanted it focusing on the space program and those around him. The last couple chapters felt a little rushed but I understand that probably has to do with the lack of NASA activity. I was also left a little disappointed in the last couple pages. I think I would have liked a little more reflection on his life and perhaps his children giving their reflections instead of an email about a tall tale regarding something assumed that Mr Armstrong said. However this book is filled with respect and reverence for a truly remarkable person who didn't seek fame or glory but focused on those around him and those he loved.
psteve's review against another edition
4.0
This is probably the Neil Armstrong biography we want to read. The author, who has covered the space program for 50 years, knew Armstrong well, and is able to give a close view of the man's character. If you're looking for dirt or deep details of his everyday life, you won't find them here, and who, really would want that. Instead, he covers mostly the career, with enough details about his personal life to make you better understand the man. The main touch points of the life -- Korea, Edwards AFB, the X-15, Gemini and its near disaster, the LTTV vehicle ejection, and finally Apollo 15 -- are all covered in detail, though you might not find a lot new there. Still, it's fun having them all in one unified account, with a careful view of Armstrong. Good reading.
paigelindsay89's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty amazing first hand look into Neil's early life and more interestingly everything that led up to the race to the first moon landing. If you like space and history you would enjoy this.
I felt it breezed through some stuff pretty quickly. After the moon landing it breezed through the rest of Neil's life super fast. I don't think this should be looked at as a definitive biography. It focuses more on the big shuttle missions and space stuff.
The writing at times wasn't my favorite - I guess I wanted more description story and got more of a newsy feel - which makes total sense since the author was at the time one of the most prominent and looked to NBC corespondent and writer covering the space program.
So you really get a close up personal account of the space race. I highly recommend it if you like that type of thing.
I felt it breezed through some stuff pretty quickly. After the moon landing it breezed through the rest of Neil's life super fast. I don't think this should be looked at as a definitive biography. It focuses more on the big shuttle missions and space stuff.
The writing at times wasn't my favorite - I guess I wanted more description story and got more of a newsy feel - which makes total sense since the author was at the time one of the most prominent and looked to NBC corespondent and writer covering the space program.
So you really get a close up personal account of the space race. I highly recommend it if you like that type of thing.
jessmferguson's review against another edition
4.0
Jay Barabree’s biography of Neil Armstrong relies on his long career as a NBC news correspondent. While I wasn’t a fan of his writing style, Jay brings the space program and Neil’s career to life using his copious notes and yearslong friendship with Neil. It reads more like a defense of Neil and the space program, than an objective biography, but that was not unexpected.
amh1619's review against another edition
3.0
Barbree was behind the scenes and includes a lot of first hand privileged facts to share. His writing style needs a good editing. But, I'd recommend it.