Challenger

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

By: Adam Higginbotham

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Stunning…A heart-pounding thriller…Challenger is a remarkable book.” —The Atlantic • “Superb…Compelling and exhaustively researched.” —The Washington Post • “Devastating…A universal story that transcends time.” —The New York Times • “Gripping history.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster, based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research—a riveting history that flows 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 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, 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.

©2024 Adam Higginbotham (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Higginbotham humanizes historical catastrophes

Higginbotham is singular, for this moment in time at any rate, at conjuring something that I find is often lost in the review of historical events. Especially those events for which the post script has already been etched into the epitaph of the past. With the utterly masterful performance by Jacques Roy, the combination of the Higginbotham's words coming from Roy's mouth is something special. At my age, this all happened a couple of years before my own birth, so to feel connected to people - most of whom have either passed on or erased themselves from the public eye - who lived and died before me is unique. Higginbotham and Roy had me laughing at times, and moved to tears by the end. A simple statement of fact, like that Sally Ride was on both space shuttle panels, made my chest tighten after the hours I spent coming to 'know' these people.

The editorial condemnation of those responsible for what happened never came, but Higginbotham laid out the pieces and let us decide how to contextualize the decisions of years or even decades that led to the conclusion. Some were heroes, others were cowards. Higginbotham gives all the context you could ask for to decide who is who.

I cannot recommend this work enough, and it's a fitting memorial to the seven who died, as well as a testimonial to the grit of those who explore the ragged edge of science and possibility. As I look to the sky in the future, it will be hard not to occasionally think of them.

Skillfully Woven Story, Factual Account of Heroism and Tragedy

Thorough, detailed, well researched. The presentation builds on itself, stick with it, all the facts and biographies along the way are where the impact of the tragedy really lies.

Feels like you're right there living it, exceptionally told

An exceedingly well put together narrative, this is a great story to tell, and the lessons learned are still entirely relevant today. Technical details are presented clearly, in an understandable way. Great listen.

Stories Behind the Challenger Disaster

This compelling book delves into the multiple institutional failures that culminated in the Challenger disaster, with a strong focus on the people involved. The author provides in-depth biographies of the seven astronauts, offering insights into their backgrounds, trials, mishaps, political maneuverings, and the sheer luck that placed them aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on that tragic day.

The book also highlights the critical role of engineers who identified the fatal design defect that led to Challenger's destruction. Despite their persistent efforts to alert their superiors and NASA administrators, their warnings went unheeded, showcasing a stark disconnect within the organization.

Readers will encounter the administrators, corporate executives, and politicians whose compromises, budget cuts, and uninformed decisions resulted in the development of a flawed space vehicle. These decisions not only led to the Challenger disaster but ultimately doomed 14 astronauts over the course of the shuttle program.

With a balanced mix of technical details and storytelling, the book ensures readers understand the complexities without becoming bogged down by jargon. Instead, it emphasizes the culture and environment of the American space industry during that era. This book is a must-read for space enthusiasts, amateur historians, and anyone interested in the intricacies of space exploration history.

Apollo 1 till Challenger

The book starts with the disaster of Apollo 1 and definitely provides a decent history of why USA didnt go back to space after the success of Apollo 11. But, the book does spend a lot of time outside of the key events that led to the Challenger disaster. The dots do somewhat connect looking back.

Best book about Challenger so far

I worked at Rockwell on the space shuttle program a year before and two years after the first launch and this book’s details are smack on. The author’s style is as entertaining as it is informative. The narrator has a pleasant voice and pace but needs to learn how to omit his frequent inhalations from the audio. Overall - highly recommended.

Well researched and constructed

The book was great! But I believe the narrator attempted to match the timber of his voice to the weightiness of the subject matter, the result was way too dry for my liking.

Well researched, engrossing story

The author obviously did a ton of leg work gathering the books information, and tells it in a way that doesn’t in any way “play favorites” with politics, race or sex. Objective and a fantastic listen, sad to hear when you know what is coming, but hard to put down regardless.

Compelling and Educational

one of the best books I've read in many years makes a very complex story easily understood

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.