Description

“From Sputnik to the International Space Station, Jay Barbree has seen it all, and reported it well. ‘Live from Cape Canaveral’ encapsulates the most technically exciting half century in history.” –Neil Armstrong

Some fifty years ago, while a cub reporter, Jay Barbree caught space fever the night that Sputnik passed over Georgia. He moved to the then-sleepy village of Cocoa Beach, Florida, right outside Cape Canaveral, and began reporting on rockets that fizzled as often as they soared. In "Live from Cape Canaveral," Barbree—the only reporter who has covered every mission flown by astronauts—offers his unique perspective on the space program. He shares affectionate portraits of astronauts as well as some of his fellow journalists and tells some very funny behind-the-scenes stories—many involving astronaut pranks. Barbree also shows how much the space program and its press coverage have changed over time. Warm and perceptive, he reminds us just how thrilling the great moments of the space race were and why America fell in love with its heroic, sometimes larger-than-life astronauts.

About the Author

Jay Barbree, seen left reporting live from the launch of Gemini 6 in December 1965, has covered the space race since Sputnik as a correspondent for NBC. The NBC space unit won an Emmy for its coverage of the first Apollo moon landing. Barbree also broke the world news exclusive on the cause of the Challenger explosion. The coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Moon Shot, he lives near Cape Canaveral.

Praise For…

“This man knows more about space than anyone I know.” — Tom Brokaw

“Jay Barbree of NBC News is arguably the best correspondent to ever cover the space program.” — Larry King, USA Today

“From Sputnik to the International Space Station, Jay Barbree has seen it all, and reported it well. ‘Live From Cape Canaveral’ encapsulates the most technically exciting half century in history.” — Neil Armstrong

“Live from Cape Canaveral takes you behind the scenes through triumphs and tragedies, in great and unique detail.” — John Glenn, First American Astronaut in Orbit

“Entertaining and candid…with anecdotes worthy of The Right Stuff.” — BookPage

“A candid, first-person view of the U.S. program’s first 50 years…with the wide-eyed excitement of a moon-bound astronaut.” — Entertainment Weekly

“Fast-paced, readable account…[Barbree] delights in telling two kinds of astronaut tales: pranks and heroics.” — St. Petersburg Times