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America One #1
America One
From the age of seven Ryan Richmond dreamed about going to Space. Now Ryan Richmond has $3 billion to play with, he is in his forties; and still wants to go to space. His only enemy; the US Government who doesn’t have its own space program-and wants his new spaceship; AMERICA ONE.
He sold his first company at 19 and employed the remnants of the Russian Space Program; a couple of the best Russian space brains in the world.
Ryan founded, and sold two more companies in his twenties, and then hired most of the European Space Authority.
In his thirties he invested over $100 million into Internet Start-ups and Google, netting Billions. Then he waited until NASA’s Shuttle Program came to a sad end and employed the best brains in the U.S. Space Program.
Now he is in his forties, still wants to go to space- the only problem is that The U.S. government doesn't have a current spaceship of their own- and wants his!
He sold his first company at 19 and employed the remnants of the Russian Space Program; a couple of the best Russian space brains in the world.
Ryan founded, and sold two more companies in his twenties, and then hired most of the European Space Authority.
In his thirties he invested over $100 million into Internet Start-ups and Google, netting Billions. Then he waited until NASA’s Shuttle Program came to a sad end and employed the best brains in the U.S. Space Program.
Now he is in his forties, still wants to go to space- the only problem is that The U.S. government doesn't have a current spaceship of their own- and wants his!
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2012
71 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
T.I. Wade
24 books34 followersT I Wade was born in Bromley, Kent, England in 1954. His father, a banker was promoted with his International Bank to Africa and the young family moved to Africa in 1956. The author grew up in Southern Rhodesia.
Once he had completed his mandatory military commitments, at 21 he left Africa to mature in Europe. He enjoyed Europe and lived in three countries; England, Germany and Portugal for 15 years before returning to Africa; Cape Town in 1989. Here the author owned and ran a restaurant, a coffee manufacturing and retail business, flew a Cessna 210 around desolate southern Africa and finally got married in 1992. Due to the upheavals of the political turmoil in South Africa, the Wade family of three moved to the United States in 1996. Park City, Utah was where his writing career began.
To date T I Wade has written sixteen novels.
Once he had completed his mandatory military commitments, at 21 he left Africa to mature in Europe. He enjoyed Europe and lived in three countries; England, Germany and Portugal for 15 years before returning to Africa; Cape Town in 1989. Here the author owned and ran a restaurant, a coffee manufacturing and retail business, flew a Cessna 210 around desolate southern Africa and finally got married in 1992. Due to the upheavals of the political turmoil in South Africa, the Wade family of three moved to the United States in 1996. Park City, Utah was where his writing career began.
To date T I Wade has written sixteen novels.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 21, 2013
I was surprised by this book. Definitely a well thought out book and was fun to read. There were some typos throughout the book and it took a little while to get used to writing style, but towards the end of the book, I just couldn't put it down. He finished book one on a major cliff hanger so be warned that you will most likely want to plan on the purchase of book two if you start this book.
This book made it into my list of top books that I have read. Thoroughly enjoyed the read and I am already halfway through the second book. Very compelling story...who hasn't dreamed of going into space?
This book made it into my list of top books that I have read. Thoroughly enjoyed the read and I am already halfway through the second book. Very compelling story...who hasn't dreamed of going into space?
April 27, 2013
About halfway into the book, I realized that whatever the obstacles the space program might have, ingenuity, vision, and enthusiasm are not among them. Others have commented on the author's attention to detail, and it really is impressive. Somewhere in the author's home is a wall filled with the logistical mechanics of this book (and the entire series). I don't know how else he could do it. If I were president, I'd hire him for something, because a careful mind like that is hard to come by.
That said, the book does not offer everyone everything. The author chose to focus the story on the central character's progress toward his vision in technical, logistical, and political terms. Friendships are foreground, romances are background--waaay in the back. No complicated relationships here. For me, as an astronomy/space afficionado, it was actually a breath of fresh air, but others may miss it. Also, I appreciate the political climate in the story, which is clearly patterned after our contemporary culture.
For the most part, the science is sound, so I didn't mind giving an inch here and there. There are some mechanical issues (punctuation and usage, mostly). I liked the characters too much to examine them while I was reading, but in retrospect it's safe to say the story was written to include young teens. It may be a bit lean in terms of exploring the "human condition," but as a believer in space exploration for its own sake, this book fanned that enthusiasm as nothing else has for at least the last twenty years. It's one of the top five books out of the last hundred or so I've read. It's too strong where it intended to be not to give it five stars.
That said, the book does not offer everyone everything. The author chose to focus the story on the central character's progress toward his vision in technical, logistical, and political terms. Friendships are foreground, romances are background--waaay in the back. No complicated relationships here. For me, as an astronomy/space afficionado, it was actually a breath of fresh air, but others may miss it. Also, I appreciate the political climate in the story, which is clearly patterned after our contemporary culture.
For the most part, the science is sound, so I didn't mind giving an inch here and there. There are some mechanical issues (punctuation and usage, mostly). I liked the characters too much to examine them while I was reading, but in retrospect it's safe to say the story was written to include young teens. It may be a bit lean in terms of exploring the "human condition," but as a believer in space exploration for its own sake, this book fanned that enthusiasm as nothing else has for at least the last twenty years. It's one of the top five books out of the last hundred or so I've read. It's too strong where it intended to be not to give it five stars.
November 26, 2012
Open disclosure - I am friends with the author so I am predisposed to like his work. That said, it is a good story.
The story is filled with a lot of technical details and well developed character back grounds. If you do not like a large amount of detail you can skim those parts but it really adds to the story.
I found myself really enjoying the intrigue between the main character and the government in the race to space.
Book one sets up the reader for the continuing series.
The story is filled with a lot of technical details and well developed character back grounds. If you do not like a large amount of detail you can skim those parts but it really adds to the story.
I found myself really enjoying the intrigue between the main character and the government in the race to space.
Book one sets up the reader for the continuing series.
February 21, 2015
American One is the story of how a visionary manages to create a private enterprise that establishes itself in space through asteroid mining, cleverness and lots of cash. The book has a fair amount of detail, it is almost a step by step instruction on how to get into space, which I absolutely love.
September 26, 2013
A very well thought out book with ALOT of technical stuff. If the next books in this series are like this book it will be very good. There was, however, a glaring error in this book. I-80 does NOT end 'in the middle of nowhere south of Salt Lake City.' It is I-70 that ends there.
January 26, 2019
Wicked
An amazing storyline. With dreams, skill and perseverance the sky is the limit this first book in the series flowed well from start to finish
An amazing storyline. With dreams, skill and perseverance the sky is the limit this first book in the series flowed well from start to finish
October 25, 2019
This is a science fiction series that is quite technical in the way it describes the science in use. The author also take time to give the characters a strong background. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am looking forward to starting book 2.
May 4, 2017
Excellent
Building a solid foundation for the series. Good tech info, maybe a little too much. Providing good character development, to create connections with the reader.
Building a solid foundation for the series. Good tech info, maybe a little too much. Providing good character development, to create connections with the reader.
June 10, 2017
Not bad at all... well thought out, interestingly put, and I like the topic of going to space, so it was quite cool to read.
February 4, 2019
Good read
The book is a good read. It can get a little technical at times, after all it is about rockets and space.
The book is a good read. It can get a little technical at times, after all it is about rockets and space.
January 15, 2023
Almost every character is an electrical engineer. But a good story if not a bit unlikely
July 22, 2024
I really liked it.
November 25, 2015
Wade should picked a different topic...
Was this supposed to be sci-fi or fantasy? As I've quoted time after time in my reviews, good science fiction REQUIRES good science. There is no good science in this story. A sci-fi book with no appreciable measure of decent science is buy definition fantasy. The author's command of the facts, even the ones that require serious understanding of the material presented here is non existent. For example, the author is very invested in the idea of ion propulsion in manned space flight. If he understood what the technology actually was he'd know that it is useless as maneuvering system. What is excellent for is accelerating unmanned spacecraft that don't mind taking a year or two to get to cruising speed. I saw described on the net as a car that takes two days to get 60mph. Aww w
Was this supposed to be sci-fi or fantasy? As I've quoted time after time in my reviews, good science fiction REQUIRES good science. There is no good science in this story. A sci-fi book with no appreciable measure of decent science is buy definition fantasy. The author's command of the facts, even the ones that require serious understanding of the material presented here is non existent. For example, the author is very invested in the idea of ion propulsion in manned space flight. If he understood what the technology actually was he'd know that it is useless as maneuvering system. What is excellent for is accelerating unmanned spacecraft that don't mind taking a year or two to get to cruising speed. I saw described on the net as a car that takes two days to get 60mph. Aww w
December 14, 2016
A really great story
The author writes a great story/prediction about a lot that could happen a lot that is happening much that will happen. The story includes geo politics that is really happening in our government today. He also covers exactly where many of us believe a small group in the government is steering our country. Unfortunately I believe much of this series also describes our country and world today.
My opinion this is the best book I have enjoyed in a while. I highly recommend it. It's killing me but as I very seldom pay for a following book in a series as it takes a very good writer to make it interesting enough to purchase continuing books. I am interested enough to purchase the next book.
The author writes a great story/prediction about a lot that could happen a lot that is happening much that will happen. The story includes geo politics that is really happening in our government today. He also covers exactly where many of us believe a small group in the government is steering our country. Unfortunately I believe much of this series also describes our country and world today.
My opinion this is the best book I have enjoyed in a while. I highly recommend it. It's killing me but as I very seldom pay for a following book in a series as it takes a very good writer to make it interesting enough to purchase continuing books. I am interested enough to purchase the next book.
January 28, 2015
an intricately detailed first book in a massive saga about one man's dream to create the first truly self sufficient spaceship capable of interplanetary travel, there is a tremendous amount of details to absorb , so far the book is great both technically satisfying and dramatically so. The only thing that would make it better would be some illustrations of the ship and its components, so we could better visualize its design.
March 27, 2018
Excellent, excellent book
What a book! Excellent written, researched. Tremendous story line, with characters that you feel that you are with them constantly. You cannot put the book down. Just finished it at four in the morning. Cannot wait till I start book two. Tremendous book.
What a book! Excellent written, researched. Tremendous story line, with characters that you feel that you are with them constantly. You cannot put the book down. Just finished it at four in the morning. Cannot wait till I start book two. Tremendous book.
July 16, 2016
I liked the idea of this book, and I thought he had some fascinating ideas, but the book was boring. It was repetitive and slow. I am not sure I thought all of he characters were believable. Also, this author was a little obsessed with drinking.
October 16, 2016
Cliffhanger
No I am not going to be buying the next book, I am not pleased with this one, it has no ending, just a lead in to the next book . I under it is a series, but each book should have a finished story
No I am not going to be buying the next book, I am not pleased with this one, it has no ending, just a lead in to the next book . I under it is a series, but each book should have a finished story
October 24, 2013
I love this kind of a story. The science is a little bit over my head, but I like the action
October 30, 2014
What can I say it is the best series out. I hope they make it into a TV series. Thank you T.I.
November 13, 2014
1st one is ok then rinse and repeat for all the rest. Curiously nothing 'bad' ever happens in these novels. Everything resolves and our heroes ALWAYS save the day !
September 16, 2014
I enjoyed this book. Not a page turner but an interesting take on space mining.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews