Carrying the Fire

I have just finished listening to the audiobook and found it to be intensely satisfying. I was on the edge of my chair for much of it, despite the fact that most of the events described in it occurred over fifty years ago. I was born in 1948 and followed the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs intently as they occurred. Over the years I read many of the astronaut biographies, but somehow missed this one until now. I’m glad I finally found it, because the amount and type of technical detail were nearly perfect for someone of my background as a career fighter pilot with a degree in astronautics from the Air Force Academy. It answered questions about Gemini, Apollo, and the inner workings of the astronaut program that I have been carrying around with me my entire life. Far and away the best Astronaut biography I have read. I can not recommend it highly enough.

I read this book first in paperback as a teenager, nearly 30 years ago. So wonderful now to re-read it again as an adult, to appreciate the grace, humility and subtle wit Gen. Collins imbued into his tale. He give us, the readers, an honest and compelling tale of the real human being as astronaut: his talents, his flaws, his skills and his weaknesses, all. He is honest with himself as to his own struggles and triumphs, and he is honest with us the reader in letting us all see those struggles and triumphs clearly and honestly. This is truly the best of the many astronaut biographies and autobiographies from the Apollo era. If you read only one, let this one be that one. In fact, skip the rest – theyre mostly awful. But this one, oh, this one is wonderful.

Mike Collins does an outstanding job humanizing what is surely the worlds most amazing adventure. His writing is thoughtful, clever, humble, insightful and often quite funny. It’s certainly not a technical read, and at times I wished it might have had a little bit more of that. But there are plenty of other books that do, and this one loses nothing for not having it. Collins’ unique perspective and first-person view of his role as the “loneliest man in the world” create a friendly and casual view to a story we all know and too often take for granted. Having read many of the Apollo era biographies, autobiographies, and other literature, “Carrying the Fire” is absolutely one of my favorites and still stands out 30+ years after it was first written. I’m delighted it’s now available in Kindle edition. Highly recommended.

“Carrying the Fire” may be the best of the former astronaut books. Done without a ghostwriter, Collins covers his astronaut career in great detail. He’s insightful and honest about his thoughts and feelings at the time, and is surprisingly funny as well. It’s a great read.

Sitting glued to a black and white TV watching history and future all in one setting. I was child of the space age.
This book was a crisp look at NASA and that time. That it was written by one of my childhood heroes only makes it better.

The insight on the fragility of the earth, resounds loudly as a cautionary tale for our world today. Perhaps we should ship anyone in power to space to take a peek from afar, to see the frailty first hand.

Recommend to any space buff.

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