Challenger Revealed

An Insider's Account of How the Reagan Administration Caused the Greatest Tragedy of the Space Age

By: Richard C. Cook

Narrated by: Richard C. Cook

The Reagan Administration pushed hard for NASA to launch shuttle mission 51L, before it was ready. 73 seconds into the launch, the shuttle exploded, killing seven people and leaving a nation traumatized. Richard Cook, the lead resource analyst at NASA for the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), was the first to warn of possible catastrophic failure.

His memo, which detailed astronaut concerns and warnings from the shuttle builders at Morton Thiokol, were ignored by top NASA officials and members of the Reagan administration. In the aftermath of the explosion, NASA launched an investigation to "discover" the cause of the disaster. Though within NASA there was absolute certainty about the O-ring joint failure, they began a cover-up by publicly proclaiming that the cause of the explosion was unknown.

A Reagan administration Commission perpetrated the same lie. And when Richard Cook realized that the Commission was not interested in revealing the truth, he acted as a true patriot and hero and leaked the original O-ring warning documents to the New York Times. His article set off a cascade of disclosures about the events leading up to the disaster, including revelations by Morton Thiokol engineers that they had tried to stop the launch.

©2006 Richard C. Cook (P)2013 Audible Inc.

First-rate history of 51-L

If you could sum up Challenger Revealed in three words, what would they be?

An invaluable contribution

What was one of the most memorable moments of Challenger Revealed?

I know a lot about this accident and have read a great deal about it and did not expect to learn much, but I learned a tremendous amount from Mr. Cook's account. This book is not for casual readers, though. The most memorable moment was probably the previously censored transcripts of the Rogers Commission and the context provided.

How could the performance have been better?

The problem with this audiobook is really mediocre production values. The author read it, and he was ok, but there's a lot of audible lip smack and other amateurish distractions in terms of the overall quality.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, very much so.

Any additional comments?

This is a really valuable first-person account that draws on a lot of primary source material not available elsewhere. Don't be fooled by the sensationalist headline; this is a book for level-headed folks interested in facts. This is not a pop history or 'character driven' account of the Challenger 51-L accident, and it is probably not going to excite many readers who are not engineers/aerospace types/people interested in US Government procedural histories/those looking for something light to listen to in the car. For certain readers, though, this is as good as it gets. Mr. Cook's contribution to the historical record here is invaluable.

Excellent

Would you consider the audio edition of Challenger Revealed to be better than the print version?

don't know

What did you like best about this story?

Everyhing

Which scene was your favorite?

How director of NASA was indicted by justice department to get him out of job. And the inside story of the Presidential commission.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Reaffirms my belief how our government is inept and corrupt

Any additional comments?

Narrated by the writer himself, very sincere and well told account of what happened

Great book, poor sound quality

This insider's account of the Challenger disaster and the subsequent investigation is gripping and extremely credible. There is no grandstanding here. The author is objective, likeable, and genuinely humble as the catalyst leaking the documents that sparked a chain reaction blowing the lid off what really happened before and after the fateful Challenger launch decision. This is also a book about moral courage. Highly technical in places.

Unfortunately, the production quality is very poor. I can put up with that, but when you hear papers shuffling in the background or tiny fragments where they obviously had to patch sentences. That's not such a big deal but sometimes you can hear the guy swallowing his own spit every 30 seconds. If you need a perfect narrator to get through a book, you might struggle with this one. Nonetheless, if you are interested in the details of the Challenger tragedy it's still an absolute must.

One more thing: if you are worried that that this is a tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist, or a political vendetta against "Ronald Reagen: aka SATAN", I assure you those concerns would be misplaced. This book could hardly be more mild mannered and fair. When he states an opinion, he knows it's an opinion. Super professional and well researched.

Stunning!

Easily one of the best books l have ever read. A magnificent true story of honesty and integrity in the face of bureaucracy coverup and public scrutiny avoidance. A total must read!

Authors shouldn't necessarily narrate

Interesting book but some authors shouldn't narrate. This author...likes to speak...with lots of...pauses......and...considering his lisp...and monotonous speaking...style...buy the book, not the audiobook!!!

Richard C Cook book, is the best book I have ever read/listen to!

Richard C Cook is a better man, than Reagan ever was! I respect and applaud Mr. Cook! I wish I could meet him and shake his hand! This is what integrity looks like! Mr Cook, thank you for standing your ground for the truth! God bless you Sir!

Like listening to a government report

The book is very dry, almost completely lacking in any interesting anecdotes about the characters involved. It would have made an interesting magazine article.
If this is a subject of special interest to you and especially if you are familiar with the names of the people involved, then it may well satisfy you.