Challenger by Adam Higginbotham

Challenger by Adam Higginbotham

'Gripping' ED CAESAR • 'Masterly' GEOFF DYER • 'Incredible' TIM HARFORD • 'A universal story that transcends time' NEW YORK TIMES • 'Superb' DAILY TELEGRAPH • 'We know what’s going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless' THE TIMES

** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **
** WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD 2024 **
** WINNER OF THE KIRKUS BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024 **

The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research – this is riveting history that reads like a thriller.

On the freezing-cold morning of 28 January 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Yet the full story of what happened that day – and the ominous warning signs recognized but then ignored in the years before – has never been told.

Following a handful of central protagonists – from the astronauts and their families to the rocket engineers who tried to stop the fateful launch – Challenger is a gripping tale of human over-reach; of cynicism and cost-cutting; of hubristic ‘go fever’; and of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers determined to bring the truth to light. Blending human drama with fascinating science and political infighting, Challenger is a masterpiece of non-fiction storytelling. The result is a story even more extraordinary and terrifying than any of us remembered – or thought possible.

Finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2024
A Daily Mail Best Science Books of 2024
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year 2024
A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year 2024
One of the New Yorker’s dozen Essential Reads of 2024
One of the Atlantic's Ten Best Books of 2024
An Amazon Best Book of the Year 2024
An Apple Best book and Best Audiobook of 2024
A Spotify Best Audiobook of 2024
Goodreads’ nominee for Readers' Favourite History and Biography 2024

No book that I’ve reviewed in the past ten years has disturbed me quite like this oneI cried for McAuliffe and her fellow crew members, whose innocent ideals of space exploration were so cruelly exploited. Higginbotham tells this tragic story with superb dramatic instinct — we know what’s going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *
Superb . . . authoritative and immediate – scrupulous history which has the ripping compulsion of the best reporting -- Alex Diggins * Daily Telegraph *
A fascinating and superbly researched account of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger soon after take off. A masterly blend of human drama, science and political infighting * Observer *
Definitive . . . a gripping an nuanced story of serial failure . . . we know how this awful story ends: but Higginbotham builds suspense in contrasting knowledge with ignorance; in showing how men and women tried to do their best for the grand dream of space flight and were too often thwarted -- Erica Wagner * New Statesman *
A masterly example of how meticulous research and adherence to factual detail can build a narrative of almost unbearable suspense. At the same time, with the outcome known from the beginning, the story has the implacable power of tragic inevitability -- Geoff Dyer
Gripping and memorable, a definitive account of an American tragedy -- Ed Caesar
Deep research, gripping writing and a chilling story. This is an incredible book -- Tim Harford, author of How To Make The World Add Up
In Higginbotham’s deft hands, the human element — sometimes heroic, sometimes cloaked in doublespeak and bluster — shines through the many technical aspects of this story, a constant reminder that every decision was made by people weighing risks versus expediency, their minds distorted by power, money, politics and yes-men. It’s a universal story that transcends time, from Napoleon’s decision to attack Russia to the recent Boeing 737 Max debacle -- Rachel Slade * New York Times *
Both riveting and illuminating -- Roger D. Launius * Times Literary Supplement *
Higginbotham has written the definitive account of the tragedy, revealing both the history of the space shuttle programme and the stories of the people who lost their lives -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail, Best Science Books of 2024 *

Adam Higginbotham has written for magazines including The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, Wired and Smithsonian. He is also the author of Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, which was awarded the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. He lives in New York City.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780241994269
ISBN 10	0241994268
Title	Challenger
Author	Adam Higginbotham
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Penguin Books Ltd
Year published	2025-06-05
Number of pages	448
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.