Challenger

A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Adam Higginbotham

$36.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Viking
18 June 2024

True stories of heroism, endurance & survival; General & world history; Military history; Mathematics & Sciences; Space science; Astronautics

The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster by New York Times-bestselling author Adam Higginbotham, based on fascinating new archival research and in-depth reporting - a riveting history that reads like a thriller

From the New York Times-bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research - riveting history that reads like a thriller

On the morning of 28 January 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included 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, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It's a compelling tale of optimism and ingenuity shattered by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubristic 'go fever'; and of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers determined to bring the truth to light.

With astonishing clarity and narrative verve, Adam Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, 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, fascinating science and shocking political infighting, Challenger brings to life a turning point in our history. The result is an even more complex and extraordinary story than any of us remembered - or thought possible.

By: Adam Higginbotham
Imprint: Viking
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 700g
ISBN: 9780241543702
ISBN 10: 0241543703
Pages: 448
Publication Date: 18 June 2024
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Adam Higginbotham writes for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Wired, GQ, Businessweek, Smithsonian, Men's Journal, and The Atavist. He began his career in magazines and newspapers in London, where he was the editor--in-chief of The Face and a contributing editor at The Sunday Telegraph. The author of Midnight in Chernobyl, he lives in New York City.

Reviews for Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Praise for Midnight in Chernobyl: 'Adam Higginbotham uses all of the techniques of the top-notch longform journalist to full effect. He swoops us into the heart of the catastrophe' -- Oliver Bullough * Guardian * Praise for Midnight in Chernobyl: 'Higginbotham's superb account of the April 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is one of those rare books about science and technology that read like a tension-filled thriller. Replete with vivid detail and sharply etched personalities, this narrative of astounding incompetence moves from mistake to mistake, miscalculation to miscalculation, as it builds to the inevitable, history-changing disaster' -- Ten Best Books of 2019 * New York Times * Praise for Midnight in Chernobyl: 'Adam Higginbotham's brilliantly well-written Midnight In Chernobyl draws on new sources and original research to illuminate the true story of one of history's greatest technological failures - and, along with it, the bewildering reality of everyday life during the final years of the Soviet Union' -- Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gulag: A History and Red Famine: Stalin’s War On Ukraine Praise for Midnight in Chernobyl: 'An invaluable contribution to history . . . tells a compelling story exceptionally well' -- Serhii Plokhy * Evening Standard * Praise for Midnight in Chernobyl: 'A definitive book. Adam Higginbotham has written a wonderful and chilling account of how the Chernobyl disaster happened, featuring protagonists and victims, party bosses and hapless engineers, confusion and cover up. The story of how the reactor exploded and its grisly aftermath are told with thriller-like flair' -- Luke Harding, New York Times-bestselling author of Collusion and The Snowden Files Praise for Midnight in Chernobyl: 'In chilling detail, this book recounts the many missteps of their response to the disaster. . . . Higginbotham compellingly suggests that these flaws all but predicted the calamity—and, in turn, the collapse of the Soviet Union itself' * The New Yorker *