Challenger

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

By: Adam Higginbotham

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction • Winner of the Kirkus Nonfiction Prize • Shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction • A New York Times Notable Book

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Stunning…A heart-pounding thriller…Challenger is a remarkable book.” —The Atlantic • “Devastating…A universal story that transcends time.” —The New York Times • “Dramatic…a moving narrative.” —The Wall Street Journal

From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, “compelling, and exhaustively researched” (The Washington Post) minute-by-minute account of the Challenger disaster, based on fascinating and new archival research—a riveting history that reads like a thriller.

On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in 20th-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, and offers a detailed account of the tragedy itself and the inves­tigation afterward. It’s a compelling tale of ambition and ingenuity undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public.

Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program and 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 and fascinating and absorbing science, Challenger identifies a turning point in history—and brings to life an even more complex and astonishing story than we remember.

Critic reviews

"Heyborne's enthusiasm will keep listeners engaged in learning about where architecture and the future of “livable” cities might be headed."

"Jacques Roy adeptly treads the line between measured and conversational in this excellent performance of Higginbotham’s investigation of the 1986 CHALLENGER catastrophe. Roy maintains the listener’s attention through detailed accounts of the science and engineering underlying the NASA space program while also bringing to life the people involved. We hear the cheerfulness of Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first teacher in space; the smoldering dread of engineer Roger Boisjoly as he consistently warned that the O-rings could fail in cold weather; and the scathing disbelief of Richard Feynman, who famously plunged an O-ring into ice water during the investigation. The hubris of NASA will remain with listeners, as will smaller moments like crew member Ron McNair playing his saxophone in space."

Even though I have read a lot of books about this disaster. This has been the most comprehensive and enjoyable.

Even though I have read a lot of books about this disaster. This has been the most comprehensive and enjoyable. I learned a lot about who was a fault in detail, but even more about the courage of those who spoke up and tried to stop the launch of Challenger. It’s just so sad because we were smart enough to prevent it. Columbia is a different story. There really wasn’t a lot that could be done to prevent that tragedy. Both are very sad. It’s further evidence that space travel is a sketchy business. I hope the organizations and preventative measures continue to improve because space is still such an undiscovered country. I HIGHLY recommend this book. It’s fantastic.

Don't hesitate

If you're like me, you will listen to the sample of this book and hesitate on purchasing it. The opening of this book is merely a list of every person mentioned in it, and the sample unfortunately lasts for only the entirety of that list, making it impossible to know if the writing itself will be worth it.

If this is a subject you're interested in, trust me, go ahead and get it. The storytelling is excellent, incredibly detailed without falling into mundanity, the pace and framing holding your attention the whole way through. The narration is also excellent, a very enjoyable voice. I learned a lot things I didn't know, and I thought I had a detailed understanding of what happened.

Worth your time and your audible credit, even if the sample fails to show it.

Detailed account of a probably avoidable disaster.

The account is well written; the complex details are laid out in an easily understandable build up to the explosion and the aftermath of it. Rather objective in nature, it is free of authorial criticisms and instead presents the criticisms of qualified individuals who were involved in different aspects of the disaster. A truly informative and fantastic book.

Great book.. Tons of interesting information

This book was so detailed and gave great insights and details I hadn’t ever heard.

Same story with a few more details

Narration was monotone. Story was decent, a few more
details added but not much new, kind of nice for it all to be in one place.