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The All-American Boys
The All-American Boys is a no-holds-barred candid memoir by a former Marine jet jockey and physicist who became NASA's second civilian astronaut. Walter Cunningham presents the astronauts in all their glory in this dramatically revised and updated edition. From its insider's view of the astropolitics that guided the functioning of the astronaut corps to its thoughtful discussion of the Columbia tragedy, The All-American Boys resonates with Cunningham's passion for humanity's destiny in space. Cunningham brings us into NASA's training program and reveals what it takes to be an astronaut. He poignantly relates the story of the devastating Apollo 1 fire that took the lives of three astronauts and his own later successful flight on Apollo 7.
21 Hours 49 Minutes
21 Hours 49 Minutes
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First published October 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 14, 2020
Much more a memoir than a biography, this was essentially the first 'tell-all' book by one of the early astronauts, and it's one of the more candid portrayals of astronauts and what makes them tick.
Walter Cunningham flew aboard Apollo 7 in 1968--the first manned mission after the Apollo 204 (aka 'Apollo 1') fire.
I originally found this book in my local library in the early 90s, as it was long out of print (it was originally published in 1977). The book has since been republished, so I was able to buy a copy for rereading.
Interestingly, many of the attitudes Cunningham expresses here in 1977 are consistent with what Tom Wolfe published two years later in his classic pilot-astronaut treatise The Right Stuff. Cunningham has the same swagger and competitiveness and confidence celebrated by Wolfe. But he's not a by-the-book, 'steely-eyed missile man' in the tradition of John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. Cunningham's a guy who likes to shoot from the hip and he doesn't care if he steps on a few toes along the way. He knows where the bones are buried, he's loyal only to his close buddies, and he figures he's telling the truth as he sees it. Damn the torpedoes, here comes my opinion--such is Cunningham's approach.
Cunningham certainly opened up a Pandora's box by writing in a thinly veiled manner about the extramarital activities of his fellow astronauts--never naming names, but summing it up like, You can't really fault a guy for having a little extra fun on the side as long as he keeps it discreet and it doesn't affect his work. It's as close as Cunningham gets to making his own mea culpa without coming right out and saying it.
Designated as lunar module pilot on Apollo 7 (even though the mission was to earth orbit, and flew without lunar hardware), Cunningham's fellow crewmates included commander Walter Schirra and command module pilot Donn Eisele. Schirra came into this mission with great distinction, having flown successfully aboard the fifth manned Mercury mission, Sigma 7, and after riding out a tense launch-pad abort prior to his Gemini 6A mission with Tom Stafford. With a strong mission here, Schirra would have had a golden ticket to walk on the moon if he wanted to.
But perhaps the only distinction about Apollo 7 was that it was the successful return to flight after the Apollo 204 fire. The mission helped put the US manned space program back on track for the country's run to the moon the following year.
Schirra was ornery from the beginning of Apollo 7, griping about an array of issues such as TV requests, timeline pressures, experiments, and other obligations. The crew suffered from space sickness, and then Schirra came down with a cold, which made him even more irritable. Schirra, Cunningham and Eisele sparred with the capcoms and refused to comply with mission control at some points. Later it would be called the first 'mutiny' in space, and it was enough to raise the holy ire of flight director Christopher Kraft, the most powerful man in mission control. Kraft vowed the crew would never fly in space again, and by the time Apollo 7 splashed down, the crew were pariahs--their astronaut careers were already over. The punishment reverberated across the space program--subsequently, no other Apollo crew messed with mission control like that again.
Is Cunningham apologetic about his culpability? Not really. He expresses little regret, and he makes no apologies beyond a weakly contrite, We probably shouldn't have done that.
Schirra's behavior was outrageous and unacceptable, first because it was conduct unbecoming of a commander, and also because it cost his crewmates their NASA careers. Schirra later claimed he had already decided he'd retire after Apollo 7 anyway--as if to excuse his behavior--but taking his crewmates down the tubes with him was bush league. Eisele and Cunningham share the blame--they might have been spared if they hadn't joined in Schirra's dogpile. But in the end, they may still have been guilty by association.
Cunningham's pull-no-punches style is worth praising, if only because it took the lid off a normally reticent fraternity of high-achievers.
(Please note: I originally wrote this review in 2014, when the now-antiquated term 'manned' was still used. I have left it in for this edit simply to be consistent with the previous style.)
Walter Cunningham flew aboard Apollo 7 in 1968--the first manned mission after the Apollo 204 (aka 'Apollo 1') fire.
I originally found this book in my local library in the early 90s, as it was long out of print (it was originally published in 1977). The book has since been republished, so I was able to buy a copy for rereading.
Interestingly, many of the attitudes Cunningham expresses here in 1977 are consistent with what Tom Wolfe published two years later in his classic pilot-astronaut treatise The Right Stuff. Cunningham has the same swagger and competitiveness and confidence celebrated by Wolfe. But he's not a by-the-book, 'steely-eyed missile man' in the tradition of John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. Cunningham's a guy who likes to shoot from the hip and he doesn't care if he steps on a few toes along the way. He knows where the bones are buried, he's loyal only to his close buddies, and he figures he's telling the truth as he sees it. Damn the torpedoes, here comes my opinion--such is Cunningham's approach.
Cunningham certainly opened up a Pandora's box by writing in a thinly veiled manner about the extramarital activities of his fellow astronauts--never naming names, but summing it up like, You can't really fault a guy for having a little extra fun on the side as long as he keeps it discreet and it doesn't affect his work. It's as close as Cunningham gets to making his own mea culpa without coming right out and saying it.
Designated as lunar module pilot on Apollo 7 (even though the mission was to earth orbit, and flew without lunar hardware), Cunningham's fellow crewmates included commander Walter Schirra and command module pilot Donn Eisele. Schirra came into this mission with great distinction, having flown successfully aboard the fifth manned Mercury mission, Sigma 7, and after riding out a tense launch-pad abort prior to his Gemini 6A mission with Tom Stafford. With a strong mission here, Schirra would have had a golden ticket to walk on the moon if he wanted to.
But perhaps the only distinction about Apollo 7 was that it was the successful return to flight after the Apollo 204 fire. The mission helped put the US manned space program back on track for the country's run to the moon the following year.
Schirra was ornery from the beginning of Apollo 7, griping about an array of issues such as TV requests, timeline pressures, experiments, and other obligations. The crew suffered from space sickness, and then Schirra came down with a cold, which made him even more irritable. Schirra, Cunningham and Eisele sparred with the capcoms and refused to comply with mission control at some points. Later it would be called the first 'mutiny' in space, and it was enough to raise the holy ire of flight director Christopher Kraft, the most powerful man in mission control. Kraft vowed the crew would never fly in space again, and by the time Apollo 7 splashed down, the crew were pariahs--their astronaut careers were already over. The punishment reverberated across the space program--subsequently, no other Apollo crew messed with mission control like that again.
Is Cunningham apologetic about his culpability? Not really. He expresses little regret, and he makes no apologies beyond a weakly contrite, We probably shouldn't have done that.
Schirra's behavior was outrageous and unacceptable, first because it was conduct unbecoming of a commander, and also because it cost his crewmates their NASA careers. Schirra later claimed he had already decided he'd retire after Apollo 7 anyway--as if to excuse his behavior--but taking his crewmates down the tubes with him was bush league. Eisele and Cunningham share the blame--they might have been spared if they hadn't joined in Schirra's dogpile. But in the end, they may still have been guilty by association.
Cunningham's pull-no-punches style is worth praising, if only because it took the lid off a normally reticent fraternity of high-achievers.
(Please note: I originally wrote this review in 2014, when the now-antiquated term 'manned' was still used. I have left it in for this edit simply to be consistent with the previous style.)
January 16, 2023
I'm worn anytime we lose an Apollo astronaut. In general the astronauts of that era are my heroes, and I know a lot about it. So in Walter Cunningham passed away on January 3rd, 2023, it was a motivation for me to get around to reading (listening to [and narrated by him]) his autobiography; despite negative reviews I had heard of it before. I'm not sure what I think of this one. There's not many books about the early Space Race and Apollo era, that continue on into the Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz Mission yet alone continue into the Space Shuttle and Space Station eras. Having said that, most of what he discussed there were complaints. For the most part the autobiography was done around 2/3 the way through the book. From there it was a lot of complaining about decisions that were made and continued complaints about personnel. On one hand very few other astronaut autobiographies in Space Race history books have gotten into so many details on the personal lives of the astronauts (outside of a few facts that were known by everyone in the end the author's/subject's own personal details) as this book did. On the other hand a lot of it was complaints and put downs or highlighting the negatives. I've heard before that the Apollo 7 mission nearly resulted in mutiny by the crew, although I don't remember if it was got into detailing specific blame. Cunningham most certainly distances himself and puts the blame a squarely on Wally Schirra, and even then it seems to play down how bad it was. There have also been plenty of other negative reviews about this book, because it does seem like he is trying to retcon history. Nonetheless, it's hard to disagree with the idea that NASA has been tugged in too many different directions, is too cautious, underfunded, and regularly runs over budget. A lot of that is blamed on politics, politicians, and NASA employees who behave like politicians (seeking low risk situations, under selling the true cost of a mission hoping that funding will be maintained so as to not waste the work that was done already, and making sure there's always someone else to blame). I have heard plenty of other criticisms about NASA seem to move around rudderless and also about the American & Russian cooperation on Mir & ISS, and Cunningham certainly addresses those with a no holds barred attitude. Some criticism seem fair while many others don't. If it wasn't so pervasive it almost be easy to imagine a crotchety old man complaining about how things were better in the good ol' days, but unfortunately it seems like that may just be part of his personality. However, if it's true and every other tale has been whitewashed, then this is the most honest look you'll ever get. Of all the extra autobiographies I've read so far, it certainly offers the most unique perspective - even if I think it may be my least favorite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
One of the more candid Apollo astronaut biographies; he truly does not hold back when writing about the squabbles within the astronaut office, clashes with management, and his own sometimes harsh evaluations of his fellow astronauts. Much of the book is well-written, with fun or humorous turns of phrase that keep the narrative conversational and easy to follow. Some accounts of NASA from this period can feel pretty smoothed-over, idealized, and whitewashed, and his opinionated, personal take is refreshing for that reason. At the same time, that also means his fairly conservative political views come through; I can get past a few asides about the pitfalls of socialism, but sections on, say, his thoughts about women and minorities being astronauts were more jarring. (I also read elsewhere that he is, or was, a global warming denier, which tracks with the staunch conservatism on display in the book.) Also, the book has some editing issues—an abnormally high number of typos, as well as a weird amount of repetition and rambling. Another editing pass would've done a lot of good, I think.
May 19, 2012
This is a solid "Astro bio" that has been recommended but a number of my space friends. I enjoyed it easily as much as any of the others I have read. Because I have read other books about the same period such as Gene Kranz's "Failure is not an option" or the Shuttle-Mir examination "Dragonfly" somethings here were familiar territory. However there is a unique perspective and Cunningham is very candid and critical in certain places and does not sugar coat.
In particular I enjoyed his stories about flying the T-38s as well as his insights and thoughts on development of the Space Shuttle in the 1970s.
Worth of its spot in a series of must reads for fellow space fans.
In particular I enjoyed his stories about flying the T-38s as well as his insights and thoughts on development of the Space Shuttle in the 1970s.
Worth of its spot in a series of must reads for fellow space fans.
will-never-finish
November 28, 2014Made it most of the way through this book and then realized that I still had 150 pages to go and Cunningham had wrapped up his NASA career chapters ago.
May 18, 2025
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/all-american-boys-an-insiders-look-at-the-u-s-space-program-by-walter-cunningham/
This was the third of three astronaut memoirs that I got in 2020, the first two being Michael Collins’ superb Carrying the Fire and Al Worden’s entertaining Falling to Earth. I would rank All American Boys between the other two. There are some very good parts. The book starts with the Apollo 1 fire, in which three of Cunningham’s friends and colleagues died horribly; and then it backtracks to become more of a social history of the US space programme, looking very much at the human side of the astronauts of the time, warts, sex, and all. Cunningham himself flew only one flight, Apollo 7, the first after the Apollo 1 disaster, but shares his pride in everything that the Apollo programme (and before it the Mercury and Gemini programmes) achieved, and reflects a bit on what being an astronaut meant at the peak of his career.
The last section of the book, added in 2003 after the original publication in 1977, is about what has Gone Wrong with NASA since the glory days, and is rather relentlessly Grumpy Old Man, railing against various targets such as political correctness in hiring, and Washington’s obsession with keeping the Russian space programme afloat. Even this has some fascinating moments – I had forgotten about the horrifying near-disaster of Soyuz 5, for instance. But Cunningham slightly loses the run of himself and vents personal grievances without much supporting evidence.
Anyway, most of it is well worth reading.
This was the third of three astronaut memoirs that I got in 2020, the first two being Michael Collins’ superb Carrying the Fire and Al Worden’s entertaining Falling to Earth. I would rank All American Boys between the other two. There are some very good parts. The book starts with the Apollo 1 fire, in which three of Cunningham’s friends and colleagues died horribly; and then it backtracks to become more of a social history of the US space programme, looking very much at the human side of the astronauts of the time, warts, sex, and all. Cunningham himself flew only one flight, Apollo 7, the first after the Apollo 1 disaster, but shares his pride in everything that the Apollo programme (and before it the Mercury and Gemini programmes) achieved, and reflects a bit on what being an astronaut meant at the peak of his career.
The last section of the book, added in 2003 after the original publication in 1977, is about what has Gone Wrong with NASA since the glory days, and is rather relentlessly Grumpy Old Man, railing against various targets such as political correctness in hiring, and Washington’s obsession with keeping the Russian space programme afloat. Even this has some fascinating moments – I had forgotten about the horrifying near-disaster of Soyuz 5, for instance. But Cunningham slightly loses the run of himself and vents personal grievances without much supporting evidence.
Anyway, most of it is well worth reading.
March 9, 2019
I've read about a dozen NASA-related books and this might be my favorite. It's missing a lot of the fun technical detail of some of the Apollo-specific books, or the drama of Gene Kranz's memior, but I doubt there's anything out there that better captures the astronaut's experience than Cunningham's memior.
Cunningham's personality is really center stage here. He's an enormously ambitious, proud, disciplined, and conservative guy who was a demi-god of a very conservative era. A lot of his opinions and behavior don't age well (raed: chauvinist), but I imagine are an accurate and representative picture of his time and place, and therefore makes for great history. And the romance of what these guys work must be unparalleled in history.
Beyond a great perspective on the Apollo program, I also really enjoyed all of the post-Apollo NASA history (skylab, Apollo-Soyuz test project, and early Shuttle).
Cunningham's personality is really center stage here. He's an enormously ambitious, proud, disciplined, and conservative guy who was a demi-god of a very conservative era. A lot of his opinions and behavior don't age well (raed: chauvinist), but I imagine are an accurate and representative picture of his time and place, and therefore makes for great history. And the romance of what these guys work must be unparalleled in history.
Beyond a great perspective on the Apollo program, I also really enjoyed all of the post-Apollo NASA history (skylab, Apollo-Soyuz test project, and early Shuttle).
February 18, 2023
The All-American Boys: An Insider’s Look at the U.S. Space Program by the recently deceased Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham can be summarized in two expressions: All the dirt that’s fit to print – and – But wait, there’s more! The first two-thirds of the book recounts Cunningham’s career as a NASA astronaut, giving the inside story on various personalities populating the dysfunctional family of the Astronaut Office. The latter portion of the book is Cunningham’s critique of NASA’s post-Apollo direction, an almost blistering critique. For fans of the U.S. space program, The All-American Boys is essential reading and a worthy balance to many of the other astronaut memoirs, so long as the reader keeps in mind that this is Cunningham’s personal view and may not be universally applicable to the experiences of other astros in the time period he covers.
Read
February 26, 2021Cunningham really dishes on his crew. Kept wondering if they read or knew what he was saying. A lot of interesting backstories and details about Apollo, as you would expect. And, as he is a very opinionated fellow, you get a lot of his take about current NASA and how to keep NASA exploring. Not as poetic as Carrying the Fire, but still a good book. To be honest, though, I skipped over the financials as he was discussing NASA budgets and spending priorities. I would like to meet Cunningham someday, but those days are getting fewer and fewer - the Apollo astronauts are in their 80s and 90s.
January 24, 2023
I decided to read this book following the recent passing of Walt Cunningham, and it was certainly a worthwhile read. His only spaceflight, Apollo 7, takes up a relatively short portion of the book; he devotes more time to behind-the-scenes matters seldom discussed, from astronaut work routines to business deals to dating habits. Cunningham is extremely frank in describing these things - as well as the latter stages where he addresses the problems with the philosophy of modern NASA - and emphasises the flawed, human side of the astronaut perhaps more than any other book.
September 6, 2018
Detailed account of the Three original missions of the space program in the sisters written by one of the later astronauts Walt Cunningham - more scientist than fighter pilot compared to earlier astronauts. In most places the detail was appreciated but in other areas it made the book drag on much too long.
March 27, 2020
The first three quarters of this book are an excellent telling of Cunninghams time at NASA and his Apollo 7 flight. Unfortunately the last quarter does get quite repetitive and dry with his opinions of NASA after he left up to the time of completion of writing this book. His opinions on female astronauts is old fashioned as well. It's worth the read, just skim threw the last few chapters.
March 12, 2022
Didn’t finish. Too boring
January 17, 2023
Quite interesting part about the Apollo program. With his opinions about female astronauts he got stuck in the Fifties.
August 21, 2024
❤️❤️🌕🌕🌕🫶🏻🫶🏻
May 7, 2025
One of the best Apollo era books.
Read by the author, which makes it timeless.
Read by the author, which makes it timeless.
March 20, 2009
Overall I enjoyed reading Mr. Cunningham's book. The prose is highly readable with very little technical astronaut jargon. The aspect of the book that I was disappointed in was the author's incessant need to give the reader his personal opinion on every topic. I fully realize that this is Mr. Cunningham's book to do with as he wished. However, I feel that as one of a select group of individuals who have actually traveled into space Mr. Cunningham could have refrained from constantly dispensing his personal opinions and from repeating barroom gossip and instead focused on the facts. I found Mr. Cunningham's reliance on rumors and hearsay to be mildly distasteful. Aside from that unpleasant aspect the book is generally very good. I particularly enjoyed the sections pertaining to the Skylab space station and the development phase of the Space Shuttle. Unfortunately there is a dearth of information related to the Skylab space station and the development phase of the Space Shuttle so I enjoyed reading about them both.
September 18, 2014
One of the best memoirs by the Apollo astronauts. Walt tells it like it was - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the hilarious.
September 6, 2016
Great to get this history behind the early days of NASA, but the author was just a tad too self important.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews