Ask HN: Space exploration book recommendations?

[lukejduncan]

I've been on a biography and history kick lately and have a curiousity about space and manned/unmanned space exploration. I tend to enjoy learning best through narratives and personalities with supplemental Wikipedia searching - so bios or similar types of books work well for me.

Does anyone have any favorite books in the spirit of that (doesn't have to be bio)? What books geek you out about space exploration?

[mast]

I enjoyed these two:

  * In Search of Planet Vulcan, by Richard Baum and William Sheehan
  * The Northern Lights, by Lucy Jago

Both are more about the scientists and astronomers than about NASA space missions, but I found both very interesting.

If you prefer something a bit lighter, Men from Earth by Buzz Aldrin was pretty good.

[mlwarren]

Two from the perspective of mission control regarding mostly the early US space program, the third about the Apollo program in general.

   Failure is not an Option - Gene Kranz
   Flight: My life in Mission Control - Chris Kraft
   A Man on the Moon - Andrew Chaikin

[chidevguy]

I found Apollo, by Catherine Bly Cox and Charles Murray, quite interesting and entertaining.

http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Catherine-Bly-Cox-ebook/dp/B003...

[27182818284]

Entering Space

Ranges in topics from Helium 3 fusion to mining the gas giants for fuel to the implications of braking on spacecraft with solar sails.