Calculated Risk

Unlikeother American astronauts, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom never had thechance to publish his memoirs. Killed along with his crew in a launch pad fireon January 27, 1967, Grissom also lost his chance to walk on the moon and returnto describe his journey. Others went in his place. The stories of the moonwalkers are familiar. Less appreciated are Grissom's contributions.

Theinternational prestige of winning the Moon Race cannot be understated, andGrissom played a pivotal and enduring role in securing that legacy for theUnited States. Indeed, Grissom was first and foremost a Cold Warrior, a memberof the first group of Mercury astronauts whose goal it was to beat the SovietUnion into space and eventually to the moon.

Drawingon extensive interviews with fellow astronauts, NASA engineers, family members,and friends of Gus Grissom, George Leopold delivers a comprehensive andcorrective account of Grissom's life that places his career in the context ofthe Cold War and the history of human spaceflight.

CalculatedRisk: The Supersonic Life and Times of Gus Grissom, Revised and Expanded includesa new afterword with Leopold's firsthand account of NASA's "Day of Remembrance"fifty years after the tragedy on Pad 34. At the invitation of Grissom'sbrother, Lowell, the author attended NASA's two-day observance, which includedthe unveiling of a permanent exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center honoring thecrew. Photos first published in Calculated Risk are part of the Apollo1 exhibit. The updated edition includes additional images of Grissom's lifeand work.

CalculatedRisk adds significantly to our understanding of the Space Race, atumultuous and ultimately triumphant period in American history.