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The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger
space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new
archival research – this is riveting history that reads like a thriller.
On the morning of 28 January 1986, just seventy-three seconds into
flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic
Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world
witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included schoolteacher
Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger
disaster is a defining moment in twentieth 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, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the
investigation that followed. It’s a compelling tale of optimism and
ingenuity shattered by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the
interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubristic ‘go fever’; and
of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers
determined to bring the truth to light.
With astonishing clarity and narrative verve, Adam Higginbotham reveals
the history of the shuttle program, 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, fascinating science and shocking political infighting,
Challenger brings to life a turning point in our history. The result is
an even more complex and extraordinary story than any of us remembered
– or thought possible.
'An invaluable contribution to history.' Serhii Plokhy, Evening Standard
'Tells the story of the disaster and its gruesome aftermath with
thriller-like flair. Midnight in Chernobyl is wonderful and chilling
... written with skill and passion.' Luke Harding, The Observer
'Superb, enthralling and necessarily terrifying... every step feels
spring-loaded with tension... extraordinary.' The New York Times
The story of Chernobyl is more complex, more human, and more terrifying
than the Soviet myth. Adam Higginbotham has written a harrowing and
compelling narrative which brings the 1986 disaster to life through the
eyes of the men and women who witnessed it firsthand. Drawing on
hundreds of hours of interviews conducted over the course of more than
ten years, as well as letters, unpublished memoirs, and documents from
recently-declassified archives, this book makes for a masterful
non-fiction thriller.
Chernobyl has become lodged in the collective nightmares of the world:
shorthand for the spectral horrors of radiation poisoning, for a
dangerous technology slipping its leash, for ecological fragility, and
for what can happen when a dishonest and careless state endangers not
only its own citizens, but all of humanity. It is a story that has long
remained in dispute, clouded from the beginning in secrecy, propaganda,
and misinformation.
Midnight In Chernobyl is an indelible portrait of history's worst
nuclear disaster, of human resilience and ingenuity and the lessons
learned when mankind seeks to bend the natural world to his will -
lessons which, in the face of climate change and other threats - remain
not just vital but necessary.
Now, Higginbotham brings us closer to the truth behind this colossal
tragedy.
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