Star Bound Audiobook By Emily Carney, Bruce McCandless cover art

Star Bound

A Beginner's Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard's Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight)

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Star Bound

By: Emily Carney, Bruce McCandless
Narrated by: Gary L Willprecht
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About this listen

Star Bound is a book for anyone who wants to learn about the American space program but isn’t sure where to start. First and foremost, it’s a history—short, sweet, and straightforward. From rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard’s primitive flight tests in 1926 through the creation of NASA, from our first steps on the moon to construction of the International Space Station and planning a trip to Mars, listeners will meet the people and projects that have put the United States at the forefront of space exploration. Along the way, they’ll learn:

• How the United States beat the Soviets to the moon

• Why astronauts float in space (Hint: It’s not for lack of gravity!)

• How fast rockets have to go to stay in orbit around Earth

• How we can “look back in time” through a space telescope

With technology evolving and humanity’s understanding of the universe expanding, we are entering an exciting period of space exploration. Authored by two veteran space writers with unique insights into the topic, Star Bound offers up the story of Americans in space with a focus on the cultural and societal contexts of the country’s most important missions rather than engineering and technical minutiae. Vibrant, positive, and humorous, Star Bound is packed with facts and stories for novice space fans.

The book is published by University of Nebraska Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2025 Emily Carney and Bruce McCandless III (P)2025 Redwood Audiobooks
Aeronautics & Astronautics Astronomy & Space Science Science Interstellar Space Station Witty Solar System United States Mars Space
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Critic reviews

"An outstanding overview of American space exploration...This soars." (Publishers Weekly)

“A sweeping, comprehensive, and detailed spaceflight history and primer... engaging and fun.” (David Hitt, author of Homesteading Space)

“An entertaining and an informative read.” (Francis French, coauthor of Into That Silent Sea)

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Star Bound by Emily Carney and Bruce McCandless was a real treat from start to finish. Not only was it a primer on the history of space flight, it was also witty, funny and inspiring - something you don't normally expect to see in a scientific book. From the early days of Robert Goddard setting off his crude liquid fueled rockets to through the crewed (see what I did there?) missions to a chapter which will leave you inspired, this book is a must read if you have even the slightest interest in what goes on up there above the clouds. Not only can you find it wherever you normally buy books .. you can apparently also pick up a copy in the book section of the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. Give it a read. You will be happy you did.

with and wonder

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