First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong

James Hansen's First Man is an authorized biography of Neil Armstrong, offering a glimpse into his life and career. Based on over 50 hours of interviews with Armstrong and exclusive access to private documents and family sources, the book explores Armstrong's life as a pilot, astronaut, and individual, revealing the man behind the myth.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 464 pages
\n Publication date: 29 May 2018
\n Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
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First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong

James Hansen's upcoming book, "First Man," offers a captivating and authorized glimpse into the life of one of America's most iconic astronauts, Neil Armstrong. Set to be a major motion picture, this remarkable biography delves deep into the life of the man whose "one small step" changed history forever.

In "First Man," Hansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong through extensive interviews with the intensely private astronaut, who also granted Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources. This "magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century" (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review) is an unparalleled biography of an American icon.

When Apollo 11 touched down on the moon's surface in 1969, Armstrong became a legend. Hansen vividly recreates Armstrong's career in flying, from his seventy-eight combat missions as a naval aviator flying over North Korea to his formative transatmospheric flights in the rocket-powered X-15 to his piloting Gemini VIII to the first-ever docking in space. For a pilot who cared more about flying to the Moon than he did about walking on it, Hansen asserts, Armstrong's storied vocation exacted a dear personal toll, paid in kind by his wife and children.

In the years since the Moon landing, rumors swirled around Armstrong concerning his dreams of space travel, his religious beliefs, and his private life. "First Man" reveals the man behind the myth, offering a penetrating exploration of American hero worship and the complex legacy of the First Man, as an astronaut and as an individual.

The book seamlessly blends personal, technological, epic, and iconic elements to form the portrait of a great but reluctant hero who will forever be known as history's most famous space traveler. "First Man" is a must-read for anyone interested in the remarkable life and achievements of Neil Armstrong.

\n Weight: 370g\n
Dimension: 132 x 198 x 30 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781471177873\n
Edition number: Reissue\n