
Challenger
A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
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Narrated by:
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Jacques Roy
About this listen
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 flows 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.
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Letters from an Astrophysicist
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Vikas Adam, Piper Goodeve, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
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Dear Neil...
- By Tina G. on 10-14-19
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Inspired
- How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, Second Edition
- By: Marty Cagan
- Narrated by: Marty Cagan
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
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How do today's most successful tech companies - Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla - design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world? Perhaps surprisingly, they do it very differently from the vast majority of tech companies. In Inspired, technology product management thought leader Marty Cagan provides listeners with a master class in how to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product organization and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love.
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Great book, terrible audio wanted to ask a refund
- By Srikanth Ramanujam on 11-15-18
By: Marty Cagan
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Welcome to the Universe
- An Astrophysical Tour
- By: Michael A. Strauss, J. Richard Gott, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
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Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all - from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel.
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All About What We Know About the Universe - ALL
- By J.B. on 02-17-17
By: Michael A. Strauss, and others
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The Quantum Universe
- (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)
- By: Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw
- Narrated by: Samuel West
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
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In The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw approach the world of quantum mechanics in the same way they did in Why Does E=mc2? and make fundamental scientific principles accessible - and fascinating - to everyone.The subatomic realm has a reputation for weirdness, spawning any number of profound misunderstandings, journeys into Eastern mysticism, and woolly pronouncements on the interconnectedness of all things. Cox and Forshaw's contention? There is no need for quantum mechanics to be viewed this way.
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Not suitable as an audio book
- By SPN on 03-29-22
By: Brian Cox, and others
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Ten Drugs
- How Plants, Powders, and Pills Have Shaped the History of Medicine
- By: Thomas Hager
- Narrated by: Angelo Di Loreto
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
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Beginning with opium, the “joy plant,” which has been used for 10,000 years, Thomas Hager tells a captivating story of medicine. His subjects include the largely forgotten female pioneer who introduced smallpox inoculation to Britain, the infamous knockout drops, the first antibiotic, which saved countless lives, the first antipsychotic, which helped empty public mental hospitals, Viagra, statins, and the new frontier of monoclonal antibodies. This is a deep, wide-ranging, and wildly entertaining book.
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Engrossing to physicians & lay persons alike
- By C. White on 03-08-19
By: Thomas Hager
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The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
- By: Thomas S. Kuhn
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
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A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, and we forget how provocative and challenging its ideas once were - and still are. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is that kind of book.
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The problem is not with the book
- By Marcus on 08-09-09
By: Thomas S. Kuhn
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Enter Text here
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A visceral drama, When the Sea Came Alive is the most comprehensive account of D-Day that we have yet to see, and an unforgettable, fitting tribute to the men and women of the Greatest Generation.
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Just a great "oral" history of d day
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What listeners say about Challenger
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- Aaron D. Mcclellan
- 06-16-24
Higginbotham humanizes historical catastrophes
Higginbotham is singular, for this moment in time at any rate, at conjuring something that I find is often lost in the review of historical events. Especially those events for which the post script has already been etched into the epitaph of the past. With the utterly masterful performance by Jacques Roy, the combination of the Higginbotham's words coming from Roy's mouth is something special. At my age, this all happened a couple of years before my own birth, so to feel connected to people - most of whom have either passed on or erased themselves from the public eye - who lived and died before me is unique. Higginbotham and Roy had me laughing at times, and moved to tears by the end. A simple statement of fact, like that Sally Ride was on both space shuttle panels, made my chest tighten after the hours I spent coming to 'know' these people.
The editorial condemnation of those responsible for what happened never came, but Higginbotham laid out the pieces and let us decide how to contextualize the decisions of years or even decades that led to the conclusion. Some were heroes, others were cowards. Higginbotham gives all the context you could ask for to decide who is who.
I cannot recommend this work enough, and it's a fitting memorial to the seven who died, as well as a testimonial to the grit of those who explore the ragged edge of science and possibility. As I look to the sky in the future, it will be hard not to occasionally think of them.
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- Mike M
- 06-22-24
Feels like you're right there living it, exceptionally told
An exceedingly well put together narrative, this is a great story to tell, and the lessons learned are still entirely relevant today. Technical details are presented clearly, in an understandable way. Great listen.
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- surya
- 07-08-24
Apollo 1 till Challenger
The book starts with the disaster of Apollo 1 and definitely provides a decent history of why USA didnt go back to space after the success of Apollo 11. But, the book does spend a lot of time outside of the key events that led to the Challenger disaster. The dots do somewhat connect looking back.
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- Austin
- 06-29-24
Skillfully Woven Story, Factual Account of Heroism and Tragedy
Thorough, detailed, well researched. The presentation builds on itself, stick with it, all the facts and biographies along the way are where the impact of the tragedy really lies.
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- Starky360
- 06-24-24
Stories Behind the Challenger Disaster
This compelling book delves into the multiple institutional failures that culminated in the Challenger disaster, with a strong focus on the people involved. The author provides in-depth biographies of the seven astronauts, offering insights into their backgrounds, trials, mishaps, political maneuverings, and the sheer luck that placed them aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on that tragic day.
The book also highlights the critical role of engineers who identified the fatal design defect that led to Challenger's destruction. Despite their persistent efforts to alert their superiors and NASA administrators, their warnings went unheeded, showcasing a stark disconnect within the organization.
Readers will encounter the administrators, corporate executives, and politicians whose compromises, budget cuts, and uninformed decisions resulted in the development of a flawed space vehicle. These decisions not only led to the Challenger disaster but ultimately doomed 14 astronauts over the course of the shuttle program.
With a balanced mix of technical details and storytelling, the book ensures readers understand the complexities without becoming bogged down by jargon. Instead, it emphasizes the culture and environment of the American space industry during that era. This book is a must-read for space enthusiasts, amateur historians, and anyone interested in the intricacies of space exploration history.
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- Andy
- 05-25-24
Even though I have read a lot of books about this disaster. This has been the most comprehensive and enjoyable.
Even though I have read a lot of books about this disaster. This has been the most comprehensive and enjoyable. I learned a lot about who was a fault in detail, but even more about the courage of those who spoke up and tried to stop the launch of Challenger. It’s just so sad because we were smart enough to prevent it. Columbia is a different story. There really wasn’t a lot that could be done to prevent that tragedy. Both are very sad. It’s further evidence that space travel is a sketchy business. I hope the organizations and preventative measures continue to improve because space is still such an undiscovered country. I HIGHLY recommend this book. It’s fantastic.
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- M. Stark
- 07-08-24
Detailed account of a probably avoidable disaster.
The account is well written; the complex details are laid out in an easily understandable build up to the explosion and the aftermath of it. Rather objective in nature, it is free of authorial criticisms and instead presents the criticisms of qualified individuals who were involved in different aspects of the disaster. A truly informative and fantastic book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-27-24
Great book.. Tons of interesting information
This book was so detailed and gave great insights and details I hadn’t ever heard.
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- nissaneng
- 07-05-24
Same story with a few more details
Narration was monotone. Story was decent, a few more
details added but not much new, kind of nice for it all to be in one place.
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- David Robinson
- 07-16-24
Holy Sh1t
There's a saying that goes something like 'don''t meet your heroes'. To me NASA was like a nerd utopia where everyone was heroic, honest, driven,,, blah blah blah. NASA might as well be an airline or an insurance company. Bureaucrats and political appointees who first do not love rockets and space travel make the decisions and it just goes to hell. I loved this book and the scales have dropped from my eyes. I was twenty-five when Challenger blew up, and what I didn't know what I needed to know was in this story.
Those who complain about the real and ongoing cancer of racism and gender bias do not understand context. Their loss.
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