Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space Paperback – 30 Oct. 2013

A really great read and a fantastic insight into the trials the space shuttle and crews had to endure in order to be successful

A fascinating insight into the world of spaceflight and astronauts. Bringing back memories of watching many of the events on TV as they occurred. You are right there with John as he flies Gemini and Apollo and walks on the moon. I can almost taste the moondust on his spacesuit.However, the latter half of the book becomes very technical and presents statistics with an assumption that the reader knows the meaning. No doubt many readers will be pilots or aerospace engineers, but equally many may simply be curious about the career of an astronaut.An interesting contrast between the race to the moon and the shuttle with a look at Apollo 1, 13, Challenger and Columbia. The fat bureaucratic NASA putting cost before lives compared to the organisation that put men on the moon. You can share the author's frustration as proposal after proposal to make the shuttle safer is ignored.Overall an enlightening insight to the world of test pilots and astronauts only spoiled in the second half of the book by endless statistics and pilot talk that leaves earth bound readers, well earth bound. I would like to soar with you John, but I don't know how.

This was a really great read. John Young is a hero, a pioneer, a humanitarian and a true explorer.This book is full of great insights and packed with detail that might be more than some would like, but it is all well worth it for the deep and personal read.Thank you John Young for sharing your great life story and your heartfelt dreams too.NASA really needs the next John Young and Neil Armstrong to come along.

Having literary just finished reading this book, I thought I'd give my perspective as someone who has read his fair share of material relating to the space race of the 1960's-1970's.To say I was exited upon hearing this book was soon to be published is something of an understatement. John W. Young's experience in manned space exploration is second to none, and it's all captured here in detail.Is it a little heavy on the technical side of thing's...perhaps, but this was also the case with Mike Collin's `Carrying the fire' in this case mind I was expecting it as anyone who's ever heard of John Young's infamous `Youngrams' will know he is regarded as something of a stickler for details.Does it contain mistakes...yes, but again anyone with enough knowledge on this subject should be able to spot them quite easily, and for me personally (even though their presence is indeed perplexing) they do not detract from the overall experience of the book.What I like in reading such books (besides the historical reference) is to get a sense of the subject's personality and in this `Forever Young' does deliver. It is John Young's tenacity and determination that really shines through in the pages of this book.Overall I really enjoyed this book, though the comparatively high level of technical detail means it's not as easily accessible as the likes of say Gene Cernan's `Last Man on the Moon' or Deke Slaytons `Deke' it still however manages to be an enjoyable and informative read and the epilogue is both inspiring and sobering in it's parting message.

Very good book. However it had me confused at the beginning where there is a reference to the three legs of the LM? It detracted from the book somewhat as I kept expecting a follow up explanation. Also Young 's reference to Fair-field landing strip in England. Could he mean Fairford?

I will admit that John Young was a huge hero of mine. A man of few but pithy words and dry deadpan humour. This book gives a great insight into the world NASA occupied back in the 1960/70s, warts and all. And shows us both the level of courage required from the men of the Astronaut Corps and some of the politicking that at times interfered with their missions and their safety. A good look at the issues surrounding the Space Shuttle and it's tragedies too. Devoured it over a weekend; recommended to anyone interested in the history of man in space.