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Perhaps we all have something to learn from a half-dozen boys who dared to reject all limitations . . . and resolved to send dreams roaring to the sky.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe San Diego Union-Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e It was 1957, the year Sputnik raced across the Appalachian sky, and the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia, was slowly dying.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Faced with an uncertain future, Homer Hickam nurtured a dream: to send rockets into outer space. The introspective son of the mine's superintendent and a mother determined to get him out of Coalwood forever, Homer fell in with a group of misfits who learned not only how to turn scraps of metal into sophisticated rockets but how to sustain their hope in a town that swallowed its men alive.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e As the boys began to light up the tarry skies with their flaming projectiles and dreams of glory, Coalwood, and the Hickams, would never be the same.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e With the grace of a natural storyteller, NASA engineer Homer Hickam paints a warm, vivid portrait of the harsh West Virginia mining town of his youth, evoking a time of innocence and promise, when anything was possible. 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A story of romance and loss, of growing up and getting out, Homer Hickam's lush, lyrical memoir is a chronicle of triumph--at once exquisitely written and marvelously entertaining. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNow with 8 pages of photographs. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA number-one New York Times bestseller in mass market, brought to the screen in the acclaimed film October Sky, Homer Hickam's memoir, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, comes to trade paperback with an all-new photo insert. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOne of the most beloved bestsellers in recent years, \u003cb\u003eRocket Boys\u003c\/b\u003e is a uniquely American memoir. A powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the end of the 1950s, it is the story of a mother's love and a father's fears, of growing up and getting out. 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As these men face fanatical defenders, who revel in snipers and human wave attacks, there is no escape for most save death. The casualties are enormous, and Josh and his ragtag team of men set out on a desperate journey to stay one step ahead of the enemy. 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But when Paco was struck down by a disease that left him unable to walk, Hickam was faced with a terrible decision, let his beloved cat live in misery or put him to sleep. Before that decision could be made, the space mission Hickam was working on needed to be rescued and there was only one sure way to save it: Paco's magic meow  This is a true story of the space age that is also a delightful tale of the love between an engineer and his cat. Homer Hickam is a national treasure. America's most beloved Rocket Boy tells the touching story of a space-crazy man and his cat. Paco will delight pet-lovers and wanna-be astronauts alike. - Dr. Marty Becker America's Veterinarian on Good Morning America, Dr. Oz Show. Author of 20 books on pets. To watch folks at NASA do their thing during a mission, you'd think they were all steely-eyed missile men (and women). But if you've worked there, you know this is only part of the story. In this memoir, Homer gives you a slice of what it's like to join NASA and become part of the family - and how your real family (including 4 legged members) participate as a team. I know. My cat Biner also meowed in space. Read it (preferably) with a cat curled up on your lap. - Keith Cowing, author of New Moon Rising: The Making of America's New Space Vision and the Remaking of NASA. They say in space that no one can hear you meow. But is that true? Homer Hickam's story about his time at NASA - and his cat - hits all the right notes. A little humor, a little history, a few tears, and a lot about yours truly  A wonderful read. - Dr. Wernher von Braun (aka DrvonBraun on Twitter)","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51028619165969,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51028621787409,"sku":"NIN9781479124817","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51842691399953,"sku":"CIN1479124818G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1479124818.jpg?v=1751405269"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/collections\/author-books-by-homer-hickam.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}