"Live from Cape Canaveral": Covering the Space Race, from Sputnik to Today

by Jay Barbree

Some fifty years ago, while a cub reporter, Jay Barbree caught space fever the night that Sputnik passed over Georgia. He moved to the then-sleepy village of Cocoa Beach, Florida, right outside Cape Canaveral, and began reporting on rockets that fizzled as often as they soared. In "Live from Cape Canaveral," Barbree, the only reporter who has covered every mission flown by astronauts, offers his unique perspective on the space program. He shares affectionate portraits of astronauts as well as some of his fellow journalists and tells some very funny behind-the-scenes stories, many involving astronaut pranks. Barbree also shows how much the space program and its press coverage have changed over time. Warm and perceptive, he reminds us just how thrilling the great moments of the space race were and why America fell in love with its heroic, sometimes larger-than-life astronauts.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Space, Science, Biography, Memoir, Technology

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2007

About the author

Jay Barbree (born 1933) is a correspondent for NBC News, focusing on space travel. Barbree is the only journalist to have covered every manned space mission in the United States, beginning with the first American in space, Alan Shepard aboard Freedom 7 in 1961, continuing through to the latest mission, Atlantis's STS-132 mission in May 2010. Barbree has been present for 132 space shuttle launches, and every launch for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo eras. In total, Barbree has been witness to 163 manned space launches.
Barbree is the author or co-author of seven books, including two memoirs.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not the best book ever about the space program. So much has been written before.
The author has the advantage of being the only journalist to be present at every U.S. space launch but it isn’t really anything new. He has a sort of chummy style with his astronaut buddies—and they come off as dated frat boy boozers.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the author's covered the space effort from the beginning, the book treats the early days with the most detail. Reading this book, like many others that cover that period, you realize what a strong effort and dedication went into putting people on the moon. You also quickly realize how little focus and accomplishment has happened since that point.

[Syd Logsdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want information sbout the early days of space exploration, I recommend Jay Barbree. For fifty years, he was the voice of the space program for NBC news. In 1995 he received an award from NASA for being the only reporter to cover every manned spaceflight in US history. More importantly, he was the reporter the astronauts trusted. His prose is only workmanlike, but his first hand knowledge is unparalleled. Chapter nine is required reading for anyone whose heart broke the day of the Apollo One fire, and a sharp reminder that we later lost two space shuttles because of lessons not learned.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifty years of covering the US space programme have given Jay Barbree a wealth of memories to look back on in this book. An entertaining overview that's a lot more gossipy than technical, this was a quick read but didn't really offer me anything in the way of new information. It might be better suited to someone who isn't familiar with the topic and hasn't read a pile of books focussing in far greater detail on one piece of American spaceflight history or another.

[Jeremy Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's no question that Jay Barbree and a host of brilliant, patriotic, heroic Americans engineered their way through the Space Race and beyond. This book offers a sense of that nostalgia, from the first flight to some of the last by NASA. And I appreciated the reminder of so many details I had allowed myself to overlook or forget about those many missions. Few people were more equipped to write such an intimate portrait of all those years. But this book also suffers from some of those good ole boy, Dukes of Hazzard vibes that haven't aged very well, the sense that smart, powerful, white men are allowed to flaunt the law because they're smart, powerful, white men. At one point, Barbree shares an anecdote of astronauts drag racing down a Cape Canaveral highway, telling police where they can shove it, and ultimately facing no consequences, which works for a movie of our amusement, but in the midst of the actual 1950s and 1960s Civil Rights Era, in an area of Florida where black men were still struggling for equality after decades of lynching by vigilante lawmen, the good ole boy vibe is hard to swallow as a form of modern amusement. Barbree also teeters between past and present tenses and periodic misprints, so while it's a well-documented account of America's space program, with a lot of well-placed enthusiasm to remind readers of what it once felt like, overall, it's still not great.

[Barry Davidoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important aspects of journalism is being there. Jay Barbaree was there to cover all the launches from Alan Shepard to the end of the space shuttle as an accredited reporter. (He is only person to have done this). He worked for NBC News for 59 years and covered primarily the space program. He was an intimate friend of the earlt astronaunts and NASA executives. His book provides an intimate portrayal of the space program.
The majority of the book is on the early flights which were the most exciting. He summarizes the major flights along with his anecdotes about the astronaunts. The book covers the familiar stories and others unique to Jay.
Barbaree moved to the Cape in the late fifties and lived the space program every day. He covered the exitement and the mundane. He researched stories and provided background as well as live reporting.Few other people had the access of Barbaree.
The book is insightful, exciting and provides an expert perspsctive on the space program

[Ruth McAvinia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable history of human spaceflight at NASA as witnessed by the reporter who writes it. The personal details and explanations of how he broke stories are great, but probably unrecognisable to reporters from the digital era. I met a few of his ilk on other beats in the 1990s. The closing chapters are a little out of date given the changes in plan of Ares and Orion. But probably the saddest thing for me is that he cites the Strategic Defense Initiative aka Star Wars as the most important thing he witnessed; military friends who seem not to have known what was happening in Europe and Russia at the time seem to have convinced him it was the key factor to ending the Cold War. And he praises it as a US victory. To have seen such triumphs and disasters of human spaceflight and settle on such an odd jingoistic ending seems bizarre as well as sad and left a sour taste for me at the end of an enthralling book.

[Chrisinny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author is a completely unique source as he was NBC’s space correspondent from the days of Sputnik to now. He knows the people involved- so much so he can call them at home at night. His perspective and relationships make this a book no one else could have written. He tells stories, gives background information and provides insights that are engaging, probing, fascinating, etc. So much was censored in the “good old days” that this book tells stories not heard before. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the space program. Recommended, but less highly, for those with a more generalized interest in 20th century history.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the space program and this was an interesting book. Jay Barbree was able to cover the program from it's inception to the current day. It's filled with pictures and anecdotes. To me the insight into the early days was great. Unfortunately, it's a bit breezy and thin through the later half. The author is also a founding member INDU (International Name Dropping Union) which gets a little old, at least for me.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbree is a veteran NBC reporter who has covered the space program from the beginning. Among other accomplishments, he broke the story on what destroyed the Challenger space shuttle. This book alternates between a general history of the space race, and more personal anecdotes. An entertaining read.

[Chuck Emmer]

"Live from Cape Canaveral": Covering the Space Race, from Sputnik to TodayJay Barbree

[Norain · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's informative as an overview of the space race, the Apollo missions, all the way to the tragedy of Columbia space shuttle. When dealing with facts, it makes for a fast-paced read. But it was the storytelling part that made me suffer: it reads like one of those pulp fictions no one remembers about because it's just so dreary.

[Tyler]

The main conflict right now is trying to beat the Russians and now trying to land on the moon, Nasa so far has had success with a lot of failures however now with the moon landing failure is no longer an option. I am on page 159.

[Jeremy Booty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing terribly new in this book but a nice, human, summary of the space program. Many of us grew up with the author filling us in about the latest news from NASA and he brings the same friendly voice to his writing.

[Joe Seliske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing to think that one person would cover every American manned spaceflight for fifty years. Barbree gives a good recollection of all the flights that he has covered. Much of the information is in textbooks. He does a reasonable of job of recounting it all. His "death" sequence is eery.

[Ray Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful insight into the space race from a civilian point of view. Super educational.

[Zuzana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good overview of the American space program. If you want more technical details look elsewhere.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good synopsis of the US Space Program from a journalist perspective. Adds some details and stories you don't get from reading other books (such as Moon Shot) on the same topics. Quick and easy read.

[Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bust.

A bit too light for what I am looking for. Likely a good fit for those who lived through the space race and are looking for some nostalgia.

[Jeff Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many books on the space program, esp the Apollo era. I enjoyed learning a few in thoughts from a different and unique perspective.

[Stephy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember Sputnik. I remember lying on my back in the back yard, taking turns watching it pass over head, my mother's telescope set up in front and my father's telescope set up in back. I was enchanted. The whole world of grown-ups went nuts. Bomb shelters, space ships on the news, one failure after another, the names Redstone, Mercury, seared into our brains.

I had just discovered Robert Heinlein, and it all seemed to be falling into place the way it should. And we made it! We got to the Moon! People WALKED on the moon!! There were huge parades everywhere, and then, and then suddenly the money dried up. We had to spend it in Viet Nam, and since then, every weary war we could think of, instead of planning where we are going when we run out of space on this planet.

So, this is a history book, in a way. But it details all the dreams and attempts of that first great rush to space. they're in here, the people who made them all reality. Well, a bunch of them are in here. I read it. I liked it a lot. It brought it all back so clearly, including the sad parts. No tern left unstoned. If you remember Sputnik, read this book for your heart's sake. If you don't remember Sputnik, shame on you for not learning about it yet. Get busy reading!

[Alan Livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well-written book about the history of manned space flight from its beginning to fifty years later, from the eyes of a guy who was there for ALL of it. Jay Barbree was there for EVERYTHING, but he manages to tell this without banging his own drum, without sounding self-serving at all. (I know he was there because I remember he was there!) He shares inside information and anecdotal support for many of the events without putting the spotlight on himself. If you have any interest at all in the birth and development of manned space flight and especially the first 10 years when the world was captivated by what was going on both in the US and in the Soviet Union, you’ll find this book hard to put down. I’m looking forward to reading Barbree’s book about Neil Armstrong.

[Bill S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone old enough to remember Alan Shepard's first flight into space, or John Glenn's first orbital mission, then the Gemini flights leading to the Apollo program Barbree's book will be most enjoyable.

Reliving those heady days through the author's reminiscences as well as those of the astronauts themselves in addition to those of insiders at NASA give this book a glimpse as to what we didn't see at the time.

Nor is it just a plug for all things space. Barbree takes the space agency to task for the disasters that befell Apollo 1 and, later, the Challenger and Columbia shuttle missions. Anecdotes about the men who flew these missions into the unknown makes for an enjoyable read.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really engrossing memoir of a life reporting on the US space program with especially entertaining anecdotes of the early Mercury and Gemini days. The stories of the how these cosmic heroes prepared for their missions, relaxed, and the brotherhood are a must read for any space enthusiast. Barbee's coverage of the President Carter's election run makes for an earth-bound change of pace that reads as interesting as anything else in the book. Barbee clearly believes in the goals of the space program and he communicates well the need to invest more in the efforts around the world to put humans back into space

[Tracy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a quick, easy read that covers the entire history of the United States manned spaceflight program. I have read many biographies of people inside NASA and this book does not go into the detail that any of those books do. But it has the advantage of covering everything from the Mercury 7 to the Columbia disaster. I also found the perspective of an outsider interesting compared to that of the insiders from within NASA. At times Barbee is a little toward fawning about astronauts and I would have liked to have even more history about the press perspective. But overall, I would recommend this book.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable book. The author is a journalist who has covered every manned US space flight from Alan Shephard to the final space shuttle. He is friends with many of the early astronauts and able to offer behind the scenes insights and anecdotes on the exciting period of the race to the moon. The book offers plenty of information on the entire space program, including the Challenger disaster, but is especially informative on the early days of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. I've read numerous books on the Moon race, but picked up a lot of new information in these pages. It was an amazing time and proves what can be accomplished when we put our minds and resources to it.

[Chase Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book. One of the best things I've read in years. If you are interested in the early to present history of space travel, then Barbree will fill you in with facts of the space race as well as a plethora of first-hand stories about the hijinks of the astronauts, the creativity of those at NASA and the politics so intertwined with NASA and its exploration of the cosmos. I thought it was a brilliant book but was left wondering how many other stories were left out due to space considerations. I'd love to see an expanded version someday.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a few books about the space program. What makes this one unique is that it is told by a journalist who has covered every launch in NASA's history. During his tenure at NBC covering the space program, Jay Barbree has gotten to know many astronauts.

This book not only goes into the history of the Mercury, Apollo, and space shuttle programs, but also the personal lives of the astronauts and the behind-the-scenes at NASA.

Barbree has lived a very interesting life and I'm glad he was able to share it with us.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another space book from another perspective - this time from one of the reporters who has covered NASA since before it was NASA. It was interesting to read about things that I have previously read from a someone else. Barbree was the reporter who interviewed Betty Grissom in her home the day the Mercury astronauts were announced; he was also the reporter who got the "we're asleep" quote the night the Soviets launched the first human in space.

Despite all of my previous reading about the space program, this book still gave me new information and was worth the read.

[Dan Verner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I experienced coverage of the early space race firsthand, but there was no way I could have known the events and people in the way Jay Barbree does in this book. Although I knew how each mission was going to turn out, Barbree writes with honesty and an eye for detail as he adds a whole new dimension and understand to anyone's knowledge of this period in our country's history. A must read for anyone interested in space or history!