Challenger

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

By: Adam Higginbotham

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

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

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.

Don't hesitate

If you're like me, you will listen to the sample of this book and hesitate on purchasing it. The opening of this book is merely a list of every person mentioned in it, and the sample unfortunately lasts for only the entirety of that list, making it impossible to know if the writing itself will be worth it.

If this is a subject you're interested in, trust me, go ahead and get it. The storytelling is excellent, incredibly detailed without falling into mundanity, the pace and framing holding your attention the whole way through. The narration is also excellent, a very enjoyable voice. I learned a lot things I didn't know, and I thought I had a detailed understanding of what happened.

Worth your time and your audible credit, even if the sample fails to show it.

Detailed account of a probably avoidable disaster.

The account is well written; the complex details are laid out in an easily understandable build up to the explosion and the aftermath of it. Rather objective in nature, it is free of authorial criticisms and instead presents the criticisms of qualified individuals who were involved in different aspects of the disaster. A truly informative and fantastic book.

Great book.. Tons of interesting information

This book was so detailed and gave great insights and details I hadn’t ever heard.

Same story with a few more details

Narration was monotone. Story was decent, a few more
details added but not much new, kind of nice for it all to be in one place.

Gripping

An excellent, concise, and humane account of how and why this tragic event occurred. it's a story with ongoing revalennce to the present day.

Holy Sh1t

There's a saying that goes something like 'don''t meet your heroes'. To me NASA was like a nerd utopia where everyone was heroic, honest, driven,,, blah blah blah. NASA might as well be an airline or an insurance company. Bureaucrats and political appointees who first do not love rockets and space travel make the decisions and it just goes to hell. I loved this book and the scales have dropped from my eyes. I was twenty-five when Challenger blew up, and what I didn't know what I needed to know was in this story.

Those who complain about the real and ongoing cancer of racism and gender bias do not understand context. Their loss.

Life of astronauts and engineers

Theres a little bit in here for everyone who remembers when it happened, everyone who has dreamed of going to space, and those of us in the field of engineering. For those of us old enough to remember challenger, it was a shock when we heard what had happened. At the time, the focus was on the people who gave their lives for the space program. This book does a great job of honoring them, while explaining what happened in greater detail and the follow up investigations. As a fellow engineer, the job is normally full of logic but at the same time uncertainty. You want to believe you can design your way out of any situation, although in reality you're limited by the amount of time you have for the project. This book highlights the top tier of engineering where human lives are at stake and the drive to do whats right needs to prevail.

An excellent book

The author does an admirable job of bringing the characters and events of the Challenger disaster to life. Excellent narration as well.

Adam is at it again!

Incredible like all of his books, a great narrative with plenty of technical details and palace intrigue.