Tom Hanks Books

I bought this book after seeing ``From the Earth to the Moon,'' and found it to be a very interesting and informative overview of the American manned space program through Apollo. I would highly recommend it to anyone who may have been too young or not born yet to understand the accomplishments of the astronauts and all the men and women of NASA and contractors who were the real heart behind the Apollo space program.A Man on the Moon

The Apollo astronauts accomplished a feat which few thought possible. In a captivating fashion, author Andrew Chaikin offers a version of the Moon flights which most astronauts could not communicate.

The vivid details of the lunar features and the astronauts' private thoughts are brought to life in a way that makes you feel as if you are really there. The astronauts often stumble into "thrust-to-weight ratios" and "angles of trajectory" when they talk about their experiences. This is not what the public wants to hear. This book is the definitive book for mankind's greatest adventure.

Tahir Rahman, author of We Came in Peace for all Mankind
www.silicondisc.com

This is the most well written story about all of NASA's Apollo missions from Apollo 7 to Apollo 17. If you like space travel and can't get enough of the moon landings than this is the book you must have. I thought I knew a lot about the Apollo missions, since I was a Navy SEAL during Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo and had teammates working in these programs, but was not prepared for the detailed documentary and laymen language approach to this book. It is, also, a great reference book with lots of other suggested reading. I couldn't put it down!

Chaikin scores with this book. He successfully captures the underappreciated story of humankind's climb to the Moon.

I have read many books about the Apollo missions and this is the first one I recommend to anyone interested in the subject.

--Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God (Prometheus)

If you want to know the history of the Apollo moon landings, this is one of the 2 book you MUST read (Mike Collins "Carrying the fire" being the other) A history of the Apollo program, with flashbacks to Gemini and Mercury for perspective. Chaikin has EVERYTHING that happened here, and he worked to get it. Anyone that had anything to do with the missions, Chaikin talked to him or her. Want to know who flew what, and when, here it is. Why did it happen the way it did? Here ya go.
Even the warts, although, I think Deke was romanticized a bit.

Great book. These guys are thoughtful and really funny, and Robyn Post does a great job getting it all organized.

It was a very easy book to read. It was like listening to friends tell a story. If you are looking to find out more details about this book is not the one for you. It is very interesting and very entertaining.

After seeing "Band of Brothers" and then reading all of the very positive reviews of "Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends" I was anticipating a much more interesting book (audio version)than this turned out to be. Winters' book is much more interesting and insightful.

Very good book. If you have seen the series "Band Of Brothers" you have to read this book to give you a personal view of the war. Read this and watch the series again and you will understand more of the series and why characters acted as they did and understand their motives. The book really adds some insight into the series "Band Of Brothers" and helps bring it into more of a personal nature for you and understand the inter action between the troops.

No author or historian can relay the facts of combat better than the combat soldier himself.

I spend most of my idle time reading and learning from memoirs and autobiographies from those who contributed to our nation's history. I have read many works by authors and historians who have spent a lifetime reviewing manuscripts, correspondence and diaries from key individuals who participated in formative events of the United States history.

Sergeants Gaurnere and Heffron have been on the front lines of pivotal historical events and are here to tell us about them. They don't dwell on the tactics or details of combat but rather focus on the people who fought along side them: The men of "E" Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The younger generations hear the names of Normandy, Eindhoven, Bastogne and Berchtesgarden and thoughts of a northwestern tour through the European countryside swirl through their heads. "Wild Bill" and "Babe" recall men like James Miller, Don Hoobler and John Julian. Men who were friends, comrades...brothers. Men who were just boys. Men who's lives were taken on the field of battle. Men who paid the ultimate price to bring to an end the Nazi noose that had tightened around Europe.

Babe and Wild Bill are very candid about their beginnings in South Philly. They are very up front with their family lives before they enlisted into the Airborne. Life on the streets of Philadelphia was no picnic during the depression for these young men. Their resourcefulness and resilience prepared them for the harsh training of Camp Toccoa and the rigors of battle.

Robyn Post does a great job letting the two men tell their stories, keeping herself out of the narratives. It is quite obvious that she spent significant time interviewing and recording Heffron's and Gaurnere's stories and placing them to a timeline.

After walking through the war and post-war lives with Babe and Wild Bill, the readers get to hear from two young men who portrayed these soldiers on the small screen; Frank John Hughes and Robin Laing provide their own experiences of portraying Gaurnere's and Heffron's war stories.

In his usual, thorough and mesmerizing manner, Stanton takes us thru the times of one of baseball's true heroes. Aaron emerges at once a hero AND a normal man with wants, fears and determined expectations lived under the canopy of the race issue. This book is one that is easily read because Stanton makes the progression to the final home run go swiftly. But he includes statistics and surprises which make each page worth the close scruitiny required if a reader is to get the full meaning of Hank Aaron's life and his importance to America's Game. This is a book I'm saving for my young grandson to read and before he is old enough to appreciate it's impact, I'm going to enjoy reading it again!

Author Tom Stanton provides a straightforward account of Hank Aaron's chase of Babe Ruth's home run record during the 1973-74 seasons. The book is partly about baseball but more about Aaron the man, plus his life under pressure from a combination of fan adoration, media crush, and racist hate mail. Imagine being constantly surrounded by adoring fans, and even having tour busses stop in front of your house. Imagine facing hordes of reporters before and after every game, or playing the outfield after receiving death threats. Most fans supported Aaron, but some responded in a vile manner. Like millions of other kids I watched his record-breaking homer on TV, and then was surprised to hear Aaron say moments later, "Thank God it's over." After reading this book, one can see why Aaron said that.

The author might have given more attention to U.S. life circa 1973-1974, the coming of free agency, and how most of the sellout crowd that night left the ballpark not that long after Aaron's fourth-inning homer. Still, this is a very readable look at one of baseball's most famous moments, and one of the game's most inspiring stars.

Early last summer, I walked out of a Vermont bookstore with a copy of Hank Aaron and the Home Run that changed America by Tom Stanton. I wanted to learn about Aaron and his quest to break Babe Ruth's all-time career home run record. About nine months later, I picked the book up and began reading it. I learned more about those two heart wrenching years than I ever thought I could. I also realized that I had just read one of the greatest sports books ever.
There are three main reasons why I consider this book to be one of histories greatest. The first is that it only chronicled the two years Aaron was chasing Ruth's coveted record. Most other sports books I've read, including Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy by Jane Leavy and Derek Jeter: The Life You Imagine By Jack Curry and Jeter himself both told of the life stories of the athlete the book portrayed. This book is one of the only sports biographies that doesn't tell about an athletes entire life. Although it did tell of Aaron's personal life during those two years, including his marriage to wife Billye Williams, and his childhood inspirations from Jackie Robinson in the first chapter, it is almost entirely about "the chase".
Another reason I enjoyed this book so much, is that it kept interviewing and talking to the same characters, including teammate Dusty Baker and manager Eddie Mathews. With this, not only were you connecting with and watching Aaron grow, but also you saw what happened to his friends throughout all of the two years. With other books, you'll be lucky to hear about a sub-character, or read an interview from the same person mabey on two pages tops.
The third and final reason this is the best sports novel ever is because it showed how hard it was to mentally survive the two record breaking seasons. It told of all the death threats, hate mail, and concerns Aaron had for his family. It also told about kidnappings that were going on at the same time that made him so cautious.
I hope by posting this book review that I have intrigued some of you sports fans to pick up a copy of Hank Aaron and the Home Run that changed America. After reading it you all will agree that this book is not only one of the greatest sports books ever, but one of the greatest books in history as well.

Three-and-a-half stars, actually.

Tom Stanton takes us back to 1973 (with a little of '72 and '74 thrown in, of course) to tells us the story of Hank Aaron and his record-breaking 715th home run to break Babe Ruth's record. We follow Aaron through the '73 season, tracking his progress and following the reaction of everyone to his home run. For the most part, the reaction is favorable, but there are many examples of hateful sentiments in the form of letters and catcalls. We also read background on Aaron's career and life, with emphasis on the unfortunate impact of race on not only Aaron, but also baseball in general.

Stanton's book was quite good, and I enjoyed reading it, but I couldn't help feeling like there was something missing. A good baseball book presents the story in a straightforward, professional manner that tells you what you need to know. A great baseball book, though, does that and then gives you more, a little bit of heart, something that takes the story beyond just what happened and gives you a feeling for the subject matter. Stanton just couldn't get to the level of great, he created a skillful portrait of Aaron and he effectively captured the time, but there was still something more he left out. I felt like everything turned out too sunny in the end, that there was more to the bad side (as much as many would not want to dwell on that) that would be key to capturing the story.

Despite my complaints, though, this was a good book and well worth any baseball fan's time.

Like author Tom Stanton, I was a little boy when Henry Louis Aaron was closing in on baseball's crown jewel record: Babe Ruth's 714 home runs. I lived in Forest Park, Georgia, about 12 miles south of Atlanta Stadium, and I had the good fortune to be able to see about a half dozen of Mr. Aaron's home runs in person. I played with the other boys in our neighborhood, and when the Braves were playing we always had the radio on. We could talk and joke and laugh through the rest of the game, but our voices would hush when Milo Hamilton would tell us "Aaron is on deck". Hank would come to the plate and our room would erupt with joy if we got to hear Milo's typical home run call. "There's a long drive.... It's going back.... WAY back.... It's OUT of here! Home Run number 683 for Henry Aaron!"

Anyway - I had to begin this review by admitting what a HUGE hero Hank Aaron is in my life.

All that being said, this book is both very informative and disappointingly bland. It was good to hear the names of those Braves from the past - in particular Aaron progeny Dusty Baker and Ralph Garr. Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson who joined Aaron as the only 3 teammates in history to hit 40 home runs the same year. (1973, the year before historic #715). Eddie Matthews, who was once Hank's teammate, the two teammates with the most life-time home runs, then served as Hank's manager during the years that make up the bulk of the book. Hall of Fame teammates Phil Niekro and Warren Spahn. Hall of Fame opponents like Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver and Don Sutton.

Most enlightening were the details of the paths Hank followed behind Jackie Robinson as a ground-breaking African-American excelling in the National Pasttime. Most heart-breaking were the tales of hate mail and death threats that he received every day. To right-thinking people it is inconceivable that a man could receive death threats only because he was doing his job as well as any person had ever done it.

The four stars are because I didn't come close to receiving the same thrill that this same material could have given me if presented properly. Stanton is a terrific researcher, but his writing style feels clinically cold. If America is a country of "Tall Tales" and our best legends are the real living ones, then certainly Hank Aaron must be one of America's Greatest Heroes by any definition. Stanton says as much in this book, but there's what you say, then there's how you say it. Nonetheless, this is the best record I know of covering these events, and I'd call it "required reading" for anyone wanting to know about Hammering Hank.

If you ever found Cooper handsome, this book certain has many photos to entertain and foster this thought.

The hardcover is a must! The narrative inside is perhaps average but if you supplement the book with a bio novel on Cooper you'll certainly feel its well worth the expense. Buy, buy, buy

Well, let me start with what beautiful tribute this book is to her father. Maria Cooper's book is beautiful, but too many of the pictures look posed (Hollywood style). And the pictures that are actually not posed say more in body language about a family that clearly protects the Cooper family image. These people are beautiful, but they are too perfect: clothes, hair, makeup, you know it's all there. One picture I found fascinating, is of the three of them on a beach facing the ocean. Maria and her mom on the left, and further away is Gary Cooper and his body language is quite clear. Hmmm, that definitely was a candid shot. And if anyone is really looking, the beautiful Maria seems to be the glue that kept that family together. There is a gorgeous shot of the three of them in their ski clothes in an old house. Rocky with little makeup is quite beautiful, but Maria and her Dad are the ones in sync in this picture. I don't know, but these pictures show a definite strain in the family relationship far more than I ever realized. With friends, the pictures are happier. I am a fan of Gary Cooper's and always will be. And the fact, that he adored his beloved daughter and she adored him is clearly seen in this book. Maria Cooper shows us a Gary Cooper I have already seen in other pictures other people have taken of him. There really isn't a lot of hugging, and touching, and birthday parties, water fights, and family occasions, events, like most people and other stars have of their lives while children are growing up. I would love to have seen a picture of Mr. Cooper in his overalls in his garden (he was an avid gardener), teaching Maria to do things, showing her how to ride a horse, acting goofy.. Maria Cooper is quite lovely, and this book is wonderful to look at, but I don't really feel anything but a little sadness that she didn't show us more candid and "real" photographs about of her Dad and the family. There was a great deal more to this man than meets the eye. I didn't get too much of a glimpse into that.

The cover photograph, of Gary Cooper spoon-feeding ice-cream to his daughter on the streets of "Hadleyville," is a poignant clue to what follows. Maria Cooper was a girl who lived a very rarified life, and she lets us take a delicious peek at it.

This is a great book for initial insight into Gary Cooper by his daughter. It is very obvious she adored her father. The book is very informative about the personal life of "Coope" with many wonderful pictures, however, the book is more images than writing. The details are only touched on. If you are a Gary Cooper & you want many unseen pictures, this is the book for you...

In a day and age when the children of "the stars" write the most deplorable books about their parents, this book is a wonderfully tender tribute to a true hero. Absolutely refreshing.

Fearless by Tom Stephen and Virginia Starkey-Stephen is a lovely book, well written and beautifully illustrated with photos by Hank Foto of Hawaiian surfing. Written with the reflections of a peaceful day ahead, it is truly inspriational that can be used again and again. Wonderful!

This book looks like a coffee table book on surfing. In truth, it is packed with insiteful guidance on how to navigate through life. Using surfing and extreme sports metaphor, the book walks the reader into a much better understanding of what drives us - good or bad - and what God wants. I find myself reading one or two pages every few days, putting it down and chewing on the content. Worth every penny.

This is an awesome devotional. It connects on so many levels and is applicable whether you surf 7 days a week or live 1500 miles away from the ocean. Whether you are a committed follower of Christ, new believer or anywhere in between, or you just like great surf photos, this devotional is great for you. We have been using Fearless in our youth Sunday School class and the kids have been loving it. They love the pictures, the scriptures are relevant, the short readings are really easy to follow and connect with and the questions really spark thought and conversation. In a world that's pretty scary and messed up, the idea of fear and God's answer to that fear is so important. Buy this book. Read it. Use it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and benefited from it. The writing is excellent, the photos are terrific, and the messages are truly inspiring.

how often do you find a great devotion and coffee-table book in one? the cover caught my attention and i started flipping through this book to look at the (fabulous) pictures. before long i found myself reading the insightful, surprisingly personal questions and great scripture excerpts. i've really enjoyed dwelling in the devotions and i look forward to more books by these authors.

The book was in excellent condition and the delivery time was speedy.

This book discussed many strategies and skills that are very beneficial in playing the game of baseball.
I would recommend it to anyone

This book was recommended to me by Coach "Hutch" of the University of Michigan's Lady Wolverines, and I've not been disappointed. I highly recommend this book for both coaches and players (over 16).

Great read for any serious baseball player, coach or parent. One of the BESt books I have read on baseball.

I teach high school sports psychology and have used this book as a text on several occasions. I now make it mandatory for all of my softball and baseball players as additional reading. Their feedback has been nothing but positive regarding performance enhancement. I strongly recommend this user-friendly text for any sport!

"Lost Spacecraft: The Search For Liberty Bell 7" is a wonderfully constructed book. Curt Newport shares the trials and tribulations of his personal quest to find Liberty Bell 7 against a rich and detailed backdrop of the US space program and Gus Grissom's own life. He explains the difficulties of finding an object the size of a phone booth, under three miles of water, in a poorly defined area. The reader is taken along on deep-sea explorations to the Titanic, as well as for the serendipitous discovery and recovery of Liberty Bell 7 at the proverbial last minute. This is a gripping and exciting read for anyone who is interested in those who push the technological envelope, here in the extremes of outer space and the unforgiving depths of the oceans.

I worked for McDonnell on Gemini and for Boeing on Apollo (too young for Mercury), so I naturally read every space history book I can get my hands on. This was definitely one of the best I have ever read.

I usually wind up with a list of technical and/or historical errors whenever I read space history books, but I only noticed a few typos in "Lost Spacecraft".

For someone who was not personally involved in Mercury, Mr. Newport certainly did an excellent job of describing how all the capsule systems worked.

I especially enjoyed the photos, most of which I had never seen before.

This book is worth 10 stars.

Curt does an outstanding job in taking a technical undertaking and making it interesting and easy to understand. There are some great early pictures of Gus, some that has not been seen. He has very interesting insights from some of Gus' childhood friends and those who were close to him during the Mercury missions. It was like I was right there all the way throught the flight and the recovery operations.

It is a must read for those interested in deep sea recovery operations or in Gus' MR-4, Liberty Bell-7 flight.

On 21 July, 1961, after a near perfect flight, The Mercury space capsule, Liberty Bell 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. During the recovery process, the escape hatch blew prematurely. the capsule filled with water and sank, nearly taking the pilot, Gus Grissom, with it. Thus began one of the great controversies and mysteries of the United States space program The author explores the events leading to the incident and examines possible theories concerning the premature hatch release.

Newport was uniquely qualified to lead the expedition to recover Liberty Bell 7. He was a pioneer in the developement and operation of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and an experienced veteran of underwater operations all over the world. His fascination with the mystery concerning the lost space capsule led to 14 years of research into the flight, probable location, condition and possible methods of recovery.

The highlight of the book is the detailed description of the search for Liberty Bell 7, and its subsequent recovery from a depth of nearly 3 miles. The narrative reads more like pulp fiction than a factual rendering of events, with moments of elation followed by despair and ultimate victory. This is a must read for space and underwater exploration buffs alike. I only wish that the team had been given the opportunity to recover the hatch cover, surely, one of the targets in the vicinity of the capsule, and a key element in resolving the mystery and controversy concerning the premature hatch release.

This is the amazing story of the search and recovery of Liberty Bell 7, Gus Grissom's 1961 Mercury spacecraft that sank to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean in an accidental sinking after the mission, while the capsule was still floating in the recovery area. Curt Newport is a veteran of deep sea underwater work and he gives readers here a page-turning account of the hardships of working with remote vehicles more than three miles under the surface of the ocean where pressures are 7000 pounds per square inch and more. He also covers the man Gus Grissom, who many considered the top astronaut at the time, including his childhood and later. The Mercury capsule (yes, back then they were called capsules, not spacecraft) is covered in detail, it's construction and operation. Also, the trajectory that this 1961 Mercury-Redstone sub-orbital mission travelled is discussed to some length as it's eventual underwater location is dependent on this. The technology of underwater vehicles is covered in addition, to give readers an appreciation of the difficulty inherent in this type of work. Curt Newport has included many, many, excellent photographs in this book, well done here. The writing style is clear and flowing, a joy to read. This is also one man's story of determination and resilience in the face of negative odds.

On a personal note, when I was six years old in 1961 and living in St. Louis County, just a few miles from where this Mercury spacecraft was built, I remember my father coming home from work (he worked at McDonnell Aircraft as an engineer and perhaps did a bit of work on this very spacecraft) and said "it sank to the bottom of the ocean", referring to the sinking of the Liberty Bell 7 that occurred that day. Liberty Bell 7 was recovered in the summer of 1999, restored , and during a national tour I finally got to see it at the St. Louis Science Center in the summer of 2001, in the city where it was built, closure in a sense to me. It is, or soon will be, on permanent display in Hutchinson, Kansas, at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, can't wait to go there!

"The James Emails" is a testament to a remarkable boy who through this book, will teach many how to laugh in the face of intense sadness. The book is hard to put down, and readers will find themselves laughing and crying all the way through. This is a starkly honest account of family love and grief that will inspire readers to appreciate every day.

James, a young boy with a rare childhood cancer (neuroblastoma), inspires us to find the joy in every day and in every way. James teaches us how to live. The terrible tragedy of his death is as heart wrenching as his story is inspirational. You will get to know the whole family, and share in the emotions. This book is "must" reading for any family dealing with childhood cancer. Syd Birrell's efforts to find a cure is equally inspiring. You'll love this book.

As a parent of a child who has had neuroblastoma; I was touched by James' story. It is not just a history about an exceptional child who has cancer, but a family's poignant struggle to make life fun, despite the ups and downs of real life.

James' life, and eventual passing, has touched the hearts of thousands around him that have never even known him. Syd, through James, you have taught us how to live our lives to the maximum every single day; no matter what the quotidien holds. Ya can't let cancer ruin your day! Thank you for the lesson, James.

Meet the Birrells - an extraordinary family with an extraordinary story of living life to the max in the face of their son's terminal illness. Their fight to save James from neuroblastoma, their determination to celebrate life every day, their setting up of the James Fund and the impact that James himself had on all who met him makes rivetting reading. Amazing things happen - all sorts of people get involved, and you become aware that there's a much bigger picture than just one little boy's fight against the most fearsome disease.

Showtime has basically been the "little brother" to HBO when it comes to original programming. But in recent seasons, they have produced some wonderful series. To name a few, "Dead Like Me", "Brotherhood", "Huff", and this gem, "Californication."

Duchovny has never been better. His dry, hip delivery is totally captivating. The sensuous woman who plays his ex[?] wife makes me want to divorce my first wife, and his daughter is absolutely delightful.

All of the "supporting" characters are amazing.....the scripts are witty, erudite and literate.... I could go on, but all I can really say is...WATCH THIS SHOW!! You will NOT be disappointed!

Broyles script is a brillant work in script and structure. I would highly recommend to those who are fans of the movie, to read the script as a companion. The introduction was also very insightful, and left me with an even greater love for the film after reading the shooting script.

A great study for film students in wanting to examine complex structure, with a perfectly formated character and story progression.