Book of the Week

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
Recommended by John Beck

'What is it that makes a man willing to sit on top of an enormous Roman Candle… and wait for someone to light the fuse? Arrogance? Stupidity? Courage? Or, simply, that quality we call 'the right stuff?'

The Right Stuff is a fascinating non-fiction book that explores the story of the first men to ever venture into the deep unknown of space. From the rise of the legendary Chuck Yaeger to the tale of the Mercury 7 astronauts, The Right Stuff weaves the lives of these inspirational men into one captivating read.

Wolfe begins by journeying through the story of the first test pilots, where he starts to introduce this mysterious quality possessed by these talented men: ‘the right stuff’. Fast, furious, and dangerous, Wolfe hooks the reader almost immediately with the daring feats of these select few. As the focus soon changes to the first true astronauts, Wolfe offers a new perspective on the attitude of the first men in space. Far from feeling like the heroes they were, they felt trapped. Like lab rats locked in a cage, the astronauts spent their days being tested, doing tasks 'even a chimpanzee could do'. Space travel simply did not have the same glamour that the test pilots lived their life with. By the time the book returns to Chuck Yaeger, Wolfe has guided the reader through some of the most pivotal moments of the entire 20th century.

To the adoring citizens of America, and indeed the entire world, these men were seen as the founding fathers of a new era, the few brave enough to risk their lives in search of a whole new world. Tom Wolfe captures the almost insane attitude of the Mercury 7 astronauts; their willingness to place their trust in a hunk of metal filled with explosives. It would be difficult to downplay the significance that these special men had on the national identity of America, and the attitude of the entire world towards space exploration.

Wolfe’s writing makes this book a pleasure to read for anyone, not just those who love all things space. Part of what makes The Right Stuff so entertaining is Wolfe’s amusing and clever writing style, which makes the book read more like a thriller than a history. His fluid storytelling connects the transformative events of the space age into one incredible adventure that will change the way you look up into the starry sky at night.