September 15, 2020
After the first manned orbital flight, an astronaut emerged as a star. Although historian and news editor George says she does not aim to place astronaut and four-term senator John Glenn (1921-2016) "on a pedestal," her admiring, often fawning, biography, drawn from oral histories with Glenn and his wife, among many other sources, portrays him unabashedly as an inspiring hero who "made Americans feel proud, honorable, invincible, united." He was the hero, asserts the author, that the country needed to raise morale and inspire hope during the fractious 1960s. "His all-American good looks, his humility, and his virtuous outlook," she writes, "combined to make him a heralded representation of clean living and American exceptionalism." Born in a small town in Ohio, Glenn developed "a profound sense of right and wrong" that distinguished him from other young boys. In high school, "he embraced the ideal of public service," and as a soldier in World War II, he saw himself as "a tough, self-sacrificing crusader for good in its holy war against evil." The handsome aviator "who loved his wife, worshipped his God, and served his nation seemed perfect," George writes, noting that other astronauts grew irritated with his "perfectly choreographed public appearances, his by-the-book behavior, and what they viewed as a 'holier than thou' attitude." They called him "the Boy Scout." The author recounts in (overly) dramatic detail Glenn's first manned orbital flight, onlookers' breathless responses, and the accolades that followed. Inspired by his friend Robert Kennedy, Glenn decided to enter politics, was elected to the Senate in 1974, was considered a possible running mate by Jimmy Carter and Michael Dukakis, and, in 1984, made a bid for the presidency. A weak, disorganized campaign ultimately failed. At the age of 77, he gained a seat on the space shuttle. A well-informed biography that presents its subject in a golden light.
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September 28, 2020
Historian George (The Cuban Missile Crisis: The Threshold of Nuclear War) presents an overly hagiographic biography of John Glenn (1921–2016) that fails to illuminate his life as the first American to orbit the Earth. George starts with Glenn and his future wife meeting as children, and proceeds to show Glenn growing into a patriotic young man whose Presbyterian upbringing left him unprepared for the “rampant swearing and lascivious comments” he encountered at a WWII-era training camp for Naval aviators. In Korea, Glenn’s recklessness in combat raised concerns, but George assures readers that “Glenn was not a cowboy simply looking for a wild ride. He believed in the Korean War.” George spends more time on press reactions to Glenn’s time in space than his historic ride, writing, “he made Americans feel proud, honorable, invincible, united.” George’s flat, résumé-like approach continues through Glenn’s subsequent career as a four-term U.S. senator from Ohio and unsuccessful 1984 run for Democratic presidential candidate. Those looking for comforting memories of the space race’s halcyon days as a balm for polarizing times will be rewarded; everyone else should read (or reread) The Right Stuff. Agent: Roger Williams, Roger Williams Agency.
October 15, 2020
America's first astronaut to circle the earth, John Glenn won instant international celebrity. George (Awaiting Armageddon, 2006) scrupulously details Glenn's transformation from his Ohio farm upbringing. Unlike the Soviet circumnavigators who preceded him, Glenn's achievement appeared from beginning to end on live television. A staunch Presbyterian, Glenn followed a strict moral compass. Celebrity for its own sake never much appealed to him, but he handled it with patience and grace. Becoming a close friend of Robert Kennedy and his family, Glenn found a taste for politics. He ran for Senator from Ohio as a Democrat and developed into a Washington fixture, serving 24 years. His run for the Presidency never got off from its shaky start, and, much like Ulysses Grant, he trusted subordinates too much. After the Senate, Glenn refused to let advancing age stand in the way of his quest for ever-greater achievements, and he earned a place on a space-shuttle flight as a final life accomplishment. Perhaps, as one person suggested, Glenn's epitaph should properly read: Here lies a civilized man. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)
November 1, 2020
Along with Neil Armstrong, long revered as the first man on the moon, John H. Glenn, Jr. (1921-2016) is arguably one of the most famous and beloved astronauts. Historian George (The Assassination of John F. Kennedy) explores the fascinating life of Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. From his Norman Rockwell childhood in Ohio, to his daring escapades as a marine fighter pilot during World War II, to his storied career as an astronaut, and to his four-term service as a U.S. senator, the stalwart and amiable husband and father proved time and again that he had the mettle and experience to take on a variety of challenges throughout his life. When he was chosen as part of the first group of astronauts--the Mercury 7--he captured the media spotlight and the public's imagination with his caring manner and his record-breaking space flight, hallmarks of his heroism. VERDICT While Glenn and Nick Taylor's biography John Glenn: A Memoir and Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff offer more details about NASA and Glenn's role in the Space Race, George provides interesting insights into the mark he left on American culture.--Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL
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