I vividly remember talking to another teacher about the 1969
moon landing and how memorable it was -- that's when she told me that she had
not even been born at that time! The conversation was an eye-opener for me and helped
me to see the ways in which different generations have experienced and viewed the moon
landings and other NASA programs. These
ideas are explored in-depth in a scholarly fashion in No Requiem for the Space Age
by Matthew W. Tribbe. This book will be
a helpful resource for those students who are interested in space exploration,
in public opinion towards NASA, and in the influence of the media. With many references to astronaut
heroes, to funding battles over Apollo and shuttle programs, to Walter Cronkite
and surveys and polls, the author provides a detailed chronology and analyzes the
shifting attitudes towards the space program.
Readers looking to match No Requiem for the Space Age with a fiction title
should consider The Right Stuff by Wolfe (referenced in this
book) or Rocket Boys by Hickam, both of which have been made into
movies and have, in turn, impacted public perspective regarding NASA and America's role in the space race.
