
Mercury Rising
John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the New Battleground of the Cold War
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Narrated by:
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Jim Frangione
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By:
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Jeff Shesol
About this listen
A riveting history of the epic orbital flight that put America back into the space race.
If the United States couldn’t catch up to the Soviets in space, how could it compete with them on Earth? That was the question facing John F. Kennedy at the height of the Cold War - a perilous time when the Soviet Union built the wall in Berlin, tested nuclear bombs more destructive than any in history, and beat the United States to every major milestone in space. The race to the heavens seemed a race for survival - and America was losing.
On February 20, 1962, when John Glenn blasted into orbit aboard Friendship 7, his mission was not only to circle the planet; it was to calm the fears of the free world and renew America’s sense of self-belief. Mercury Rising recreates the tension and excitement of a flight that shifted the momentum of the space race and put the United States on the path to the moon. Drawing on new archival sources, personal interviews, and previously unpublished notes by Glenn himself, Mercury Rising reveals how the astronaut’s heroics lifted the nation’s hopes in what Kennedy called the "hour of maximum danger".
©2021 Jeff Shesol (P)2021 Recorded Books, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Mercury Rising
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Pianoman
- 07-03-21
Fascinating
How did the space program develop? Why was John. Glenn chosen as the first U.S. astronaut to take a long space flight? Was John Kennedy initially a supporter of sending a manned vehicle into space? This fascinating book explores these and other questions.
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- Grant Holder
- 09-22-24
A golden age
So much positivity. Human foibles, of course, but the mission came first. For once, unlike today.
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- Dave T.
- 10-03-22
Fresh telling of a piece of the American mythology
Familiar territory, but well told and with new details. More than just another telling of the old “Man goes to the moon” I very much appreciated the the details delving into what John Glenn may have been thinking on many occasions. Excellent research a
story-telling.
Importantly, I wanted to call out Jim Frangione’s narration. He is superb - especially for a book like this one. He comes across as knowledgeable, studied, confident and in control. I’d love to hear more of him!
Dave Thompson
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- wikkit
- 10-16-22
fantastic book w excellent narration
As a person who wasn't alive for the space race, this was a captivating and fascinating lens into this time in the nation's history. Listened to the book on a long car ride, and didn't want to stop to interrupt the story. Excellent narration pairs well with the material
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- Dan
- 11-30-22
Terrific story, well told, with newly revealed facts
Who knew that John Glenn was, himself, inadvertently responsible for the attitude-hold problems of “Freedom 7’s” Autopilot? Nevertheless, he emerges from this book the hero that he was and will always be.
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- John C. Connors
- 08-06-24
Great Tribute History of the Mercury Program
The author brilliantly wrote a history of the Mercury program. There were so many aspects to this program...scientific, geopolitical, domestic political and individual human stories. The author was able to orchestrate all those moving parts into an excellent narrative. The narrator was great. Perfect voice and narrative style for this book.
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- Victoria
- 09-05-24
A riveting story well told
This book makes the historical space travel’s beginning come alive through the story of John Glenn’s flight.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-06-22
First Heros
Followed Glenn's flight as a young boy better understanding now of what took place then.
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- M.Biblioswine
- 06-13-23
Solid
This is a solid history book. The reading performance is good but not great. I recommend it.
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