Carrying the Fire

An Astronaut's Journeys

By: Michael Collins, Charles A. Lindbergh - foreword

Narrated by: David Colacci

In Carrying the Fire, Michael Collins conveys, in a very personal way, the drama, beauty, and humor of the adventure of reaching the moon. He also traces his development from his first flight experiences in the air force, through his days as a test pilot, to his Apollo 11 spacewalk, presenting an evocative description of the joys of flight as well as a new perspective on time, light, and movement from someone who has seen the fragile Earth from the other side of the moon.

©1974 Michael Collins; foreword copyright 1974 by Charles A. Lindbergh; Preface to the 2009 edition copyright 2009 by Michael Collins (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Collins tells what his space journeys meant to him as a human being [and] discusses the role of man amid the multitudinous mechanical marvels.... Profoundly affecting." ( The New Yorker)

One of the best astronaut memoirs

Probably my favorite history from NASA's astronaut class, beginning with Air Force, through test pilot training, astronaut acceptance, Gemini 10, how he was removed from Apollo 8, and moved to Apollo 11. Told with detail and humor. A great listen.

Mark Twain goes to the Moon

Mr. Collin’s wordsmiths his recollections with the humor and skills of a modern day Samual Clemmons. The difference is that Collin’s really was Huck Finn. This story of the first journey to the Moon seems in the style I would expect from the master story teller himself if Twain had been on Apollo 11.

Informative Read

If the Apollo 11 mission is a topic that interests you, give this book a shot. Collins does a great job of walking through the whole process from being selected, training, and finally the mission itself.

If you ever struggled believing the NASA space programs legitimacy, read this and free your mind.

I highly recommend this read/listen. This book is a real life, first person account, of an astronaut’s journey and dedication from test pilot to space conquest.

1st person that can't be beat, and performed well

Mike Collins takes us along for the ride from daily life at NASA in the heady early days of manned spaceflight through his iconic Gemini 10 and historic Apollo 11 achievements and shares his unique perspective. I wish I'd found this book years ago, but it has lost no impact over time.