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Truth, Lies, and O-Rings
- Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 26 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 08-07-18
- Language: English
- Publisher: Tantor Audio
Regular price: $27.99
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Publisher's Summary
On a cold January morning in 1986, NASA launched the Space Shuttle Challenger, despite warnings against doing so by many individuals including Allan McDonald. The fiery destruction of Challenger on live television moments after launch remains an indelible image in the nation's collective memory.
In Truth, Lies, and O-Rings, McDonald, a skilled engineer and executive, relives the tragedy from where he stood at Launch Control Center. As he fought to draw attention to the real reasons behind the disaster, he was the only one targeted for retribution by both NASA and his employer, Morton Thiokol, Inc., makers of the shuttle's solid rocket boosters.
In this whistle-blowing yet rigorous and fair-minded book, McDonald, with the assistance of internationally distinguished aerospace historian James R. Hansen, addresses all of the factors that led to the accident, some of which were never included in NASA's Failure Team report submitted to the Presidential Commission.
Truth, Lies, and O-Rings is the first look at the Challenger tragedy and its aftermath from someone who was on the inside, recognized the potential disaster, and tried to prevent it. It also addresses the early warnings of very severe debris issues from the first two post-Challenger flights, which ultimately resulted in the loss of Columbia some 15 years later.
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- Daniel L Carmony
- 08-16-18
A great look into what happened
If you are a NASA and space junkie this is a good book for you. There is a lot of detailed information on what went wrong and why. The author does repeat himself several times but I did not find it distracting but helped reiterate the information.
There is a lot of information on the SRBs but the author does a great job of keeping it so the average person can understand what he is talking about. The author explains in detail about the problems they were having with the rings before the Challenger exploded, the investigation of the accident, and then the rebuild process to get the Shuttle back in space.
I really enjoyed the book and found myself sitting in the car after arriving home from work so I could finish listening to the chapter. Five stars from me for both the author and the reader.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Just a guy in AZ
- 12-31-18
Excellent!! Lots of detail!!!
Excellent listen. Lots of information presented in a way that I believe most people would be able to follow. If you ever wanted to know the WHOLE story behind Challenger, this is it!!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S. Wilson
- Wheeling WV
- 12-05-18
Great story
Im an aerospace engineer and was really impressed with the technical detail of this book. Its also a great story about how "go-fever" can often lead to critical oversights. Would recommend for anyone interested in either space or history.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- T. F. W.
- 01-18-19
Amazing book, terrible narrator
The book is incredible in it's detail and honesty. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes of a disaster so many of us remember. But the narrator is atrocious. It takes the first 5 chapters to just get past his obnoxious style of reading.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nathan
- 01-07-19
Engineering best practise guide
Engaging throughout a must for any engineer ... ever had your boss ask you to cut corners and you refused? If you ever need reassurance you did the right thing this is the book for you ... first class