Space: The Human Story by Tim Peake

Space: The Human Story Reviews

• 
  Tony Williams

  I loved this book. It's a must read for anyone interested in human space exploration. It provides a look at the history of humans in space with the added perspective of an astronaut throughout. It really feels like Tim Peake is guiding you through the history himself and his humour and passion come through in the text.
• 
  Puppy_reviewer

  Incredibly well written. Quite a feat to capture the whole history of spaceflight in one book and make it flowing and cohesive.
• 
  Moravian1297

  I'll admit, I'd been dreading having to read this book. I'd received it as a surprise Christmas present, which in of itself was a lovely gesture and I thank the benefactor greatly and love them dearly for it, but unknown to them, I wasn't very enamoured with it's author Tim Peake, who for reasons I'll explain later, I considered to perhaps be a liar and a fraud.
  So, because it was a gift, I felt duty bound to read Space: The Human Story and it's taken from December of last year till now for me to muster my resolve and pick it up.
  Unfortunately on top of my preconceived notions on the book and my visceral hatred for the so called astronaut Tim Peake, I also firmly believe that no man has EVER walked on the moon, they simply did not have the technology (that however, and as much as I'd love to, is as far as I'm going to delve into that particular subject, as I'm reviewing the book not whether the Apollo moon landings were faked or not!).
  So believing that this book was predicated on a foundation of lies, I was not looking forward to it at all.
  
  I'll start by clearing up my dislike of Mr Tim Peake. Back when he was allegedly on board the International Space Station (ISS), I'd been watching a video of one his broadcasts to mission control back here on earth and to be fair it had never even entered my head that he wasn't actually where he claimed to be, which was about 250 miles above us on the ISS. So when he said, something to the effect of, "Here I am 3000 miles from you lot back in the UK!" , then seeing the panic in his facial expressions and his eyes darting to the side and back, as someone off camera is so obviously berating him for this momentous gaff, my surprise and shock was palpable to say the least! I've had a quick scan to find this footage and link it up, but surprise, surprise, and just like the untimely death by strange accidents of many of the Apollo astronauts, it's completely disappeared!
  Now, unlike the faked moon landings, the motive for which was very clear, I have absolutely no idea, why the space agencies of today would feel the need to fake astronauts going to the ISS, the only motive I could think of would be cost, but it just all seems very bizarre and I may yet be wrong, but that episode certainly cast doubt over any credibility concerning Tim Peake being in the ISS, or indeed, actually just holed up in a bunker somewhere in the United States, 3000 miles away!
  
  Right, now that I've cleared all that up, the book, haha!
  It actually surprised me somewhat, despite all of the above, and the fact Peake could also be somewhat patronising and overbearing*, that I actually did quite enjoy the book!
  Especially when he related to us about the Soviet experience and told the story of their cosmonauts, albeit occasionally with the typical jaundiced eyes of a western propagandist. However, it was interesting enough for me to perhaps explore deeper into that field and seek out something more specific to the Soviet Space Programme.
  With one characteristic anecdote which rather tickled me, after a particularly hazardous rocket launch that had went disastrously wrong, the two Soviet cosmonauts, Titov and Strekalov descending back to earth with an extremely and unceremoniously rough ride,
  
  "and when the rescue helicopter reached them and it's crew opened the hatch, Titov was asked,
  "Are you ok?"
  "Have you got a cigarette?" he replied, they did and the two cosmonauts lit up.
  I can't say I've ever been a smoker, but I'm reliably informed that the best cigarettes are (1) after dinner, (2) after sex and (3) after surviving a 17g launch abort from an exploding Soyuz rocket on the pad at Baikonur!"
  
  All heroically amazing stuff!
  
  I also found the jumping back and forth in the timeline a bit discombobulating, it would have been better if the author had started and continued the events chronologically, but it wasn't a deal breaker.
  
  There was plenty of little irreverent titbits to be soaked up, for example, I learnt that the much used line, "Take me to your leader", actually originated from part of a prepared statement printed on a card in several languages for astronaut John Glenn to give to any local populace if ever he landed back on earth and found himself in hostile territory. Unsurprisingly though, it was never used.
  
  To sum up, this wasn't as bad as I'd feared, especially if you treat the Apollo moon landing chapters as historical fiction, but I certainly wouldn't be recommending it to anyone as a serious factual account of human endeavor and space exploration expansion.
  I'd like to think in reading this, I've been mistaken about Tim Peake, but I'm not so sure that I am, as in the pages of this book he fell into the first trap of conspiracy liars and mentions their Achilles heel, The Loch Ness Monster! Oh, dear!
  At least he hasn’t been to Epstein Island, I’ll give him that!
  
  *He did have a habit of sidebarring and stating the bleeding obvious with some pretty frivolous and more often than not childish observations.
  
  
  https://www.facebook.com/share/r/65JK...
• 
  Tobias Taylor

  "For the pioneers it is always difficult. They tread the unknown paths and these paths are not straight." [from Komarov's cosmonaut colleagues after he didn't return]
  
  A fantastic account covering the history of humans in space so far.
  
  "Space exploration in the twenty-first century is, first and foremost, a scientific endeavour, and we are on the brink of an era in which space can become a large part of the solution to the problems we so clearly have on Earth. If we seize this opportunity, space can be the laboratory for many of the transformational technologies that we're going to need on our planet and a vital contributor in ares such as energy, medicine, nutrition, agriculture, robotics and clean tech."
• 
  Dan Driver

  You should find a SPACE for this book. Among all of the books I've read so far, this one was a STAR. It would be LUNACY to not even acknowledge this book.
  
  Humanity's greatest achievements involve space. I never knew how much of a portfolio an astronaut (or cosmonaut) needed to get into the role.
  
  I'm incredibly jealous of the views that they see. I'm jealous of the things they've done. I'm ultimately jealous that I may never do what they can do.
  
  Fantastic book. Fantastic people. Role models for us all.
• 
  Daniella

  A really cool look at the history of humans in space, which acknowledges a lot of the failings but also provides hope for the next era.
  
  This was really well put together thematically, and I think brought a well-nuanced perspective. Perhaps best read over a few days to not burn yourself out on space history, but think it makes a really good introduction to the eras of humans in space and the space race in particular.
• 
  Karin Jenkins

  I enjoy Tim Peake’s writing and enjoyed this thoroughly researched insider’s history of space flight and haw things have changed over the years. He focuses particularly of the human element though obviously the technology gets plenty of mentions too.
• 
  Paula Street

  Excellent guide through the history of human space exploration. As it says on the back of the book: Only 628 people in human history have left Earth. This is their story.
  
  Told in non-chronological order, grouping together common themes of astronaut recruitment, training, mission selection, lift-offs, time in space, space walks, and landings across the decades, with a good sprinkling of Tim Peake’s dry British humour. Thoroughly recommended.
• 
  Liam Brown

  Absolutely brilliant book taking you through the history of human exploration of Space. Superbly written.
• 
  Chloe Ogg

  this is actively very good, very much in my space era
• 
  Tom Bruce

  The cover is one of the most stunning photographs of the 20th century - maybe ever, so off to an amazing start. I very much enjoyed this book (thanks, George H, for the Xmas prezzie). We gain lots of insights into not just the technical sides of astronauts' and cosmonauts' lives - selection, training. missions, ... but a strong sense of them as people (which is mostly, but not always a good thing). The author has arranged the book by phases of astronaut/cosmonaut career journey. I fully 'get' why this has been done, and it works fine, but it also means that the narrative is pretty mashed up! So - a thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommendable read, but not quite a 5* wow.
• 
  E

  Truly adored this book, loved all the stories and details about the history of space flight, the good and the bad. Plus his writing style just made it so interesting yet easy to follow, will be reading some of his others perhaps?!?
• 
  Gina

  This is fantastic! Easy to read and very interesting. Essentially it's just a lot of anecdotes from the American and Soviet space programs stitched together into a coherent narrative.
• 
  James Lindley

  Fantastic insight into space flight history. Inspired me to read more about lots of topics discussed in the book. Another well written and fascinating book from Tim Peake.
• 
  Sarah Sleeman

  This is the first book about space I’ve read, as I’ve always felt intimidated if the authors use scientific words etc. Tim’s book, was a delight to read, and easy to understand. He will explain terms but also uses everyday examples so you can easily imagine. The book is the history of space flight, not just NASA, but also the Russians and the space race between the two. It features all the successes and sadly, failures like the challenger disaster. Tim also adds his own insight at times too. His description of “lift off” and how it felt, made me feel like I was sitting beside him. The last chapter of the book looks forward to the future, with hopefully the Artemis III going to the moon and hopefully beyond. I recommend this book, to all young and old who love space, and those who are newbies like me. Thank you Tim x
• 
  Sere Inkblood

  Nice reading if you're curious about the "backstage". "Only 628 people in human history have left heart" - well for me is not a small number!
• 
  Zachary Barker

  I have finished reading “Space: The Human Story” by Tim Peake.
  
  Tim Peake is a former British Astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) who went on a tour of service on the International Space Station (ISS). He now lectures and writes about Astronauts and humanity’s growing relationship with Space.
  
  There is an argument to be made that this book would be better entitled “Astronauts” than “Space: The Human Story”, since that seems to be the main preoccupation of this book. Tim Peake points out at the start his own crossover with humanity’s growing relationship with Space; he was born in 1972, which was the same year that Eugene Cernan became the last human to visit the Moon….so far.
  
  The chapters laid out by the author touch on the different elements of an Astronauts life. This extends from selection for being an Astronaut, to training, to being selected for a mission (or not), to lift off and to re-entry back to Earth. Through different anecdotes from the lives of veteran Astronauts, Tim Peake how their different personalities dealt with these situations and shares their recollections of them. These stories range from impressive displays of bravery to absolutely hilarious pranks and misbehaviours. One of my favourite stories was of a NASA Astronaut abseiling outside of a NASA official’s window to serenade him “happy birthday” in a Superman outfit, just to charm them into putting them on a mission. There are stories of frantic efforts to survive, as well as some impressive trademark nerves of steel antics by Neil Armstrong.
  
  I felt at times that this book was in danger of becoming a bit of a gossip catalogue of Astronaut stories. However, towards the end and especially on reflection after reading I have come to appreciate what the author was trying to do. Not only did he convincingly map the arc of an average Astronaut’s career, he also gave the reader a pretty detailed overview of how the job itself has evolved. In the US they have evolved from strictly Male Military-trained test pilots in the 1960s, to a world where Astronauts are not only defined by their personal diversity but also their diverse specialisms. Put simply; the demands on the skillset for Astronauts is broadening as actual and potential missions become broader in scope.
  
  I think Tim Peake is a natural writer for this kind of subject matter. He has a clear way of explaining things, a disarming sense of humour and a good feel of how much factual and personal content to deploy at one time. He managed to catch the profound violence and shock of accidents that tragically took the lives of Astronauts. But he also caught vividly the sense many of them had of struggling to readjust to life back on Earth. Combined with the fame that came with their position some struggled. Others adjusted over the years. But some chose for one reason to leave their careers behind and cross other frontiers.
  
  In conclusion, while this book wasn’t exactly what I expected I felt reading it was a worthwhile journey. It is a book of subtle nods when it comes to the future direction of Space Travel. The last chapter threw an interesting curve ball. After lengthily talking about human crewed Space Flight, Tim Peake brings up a certain famous figure who profoundly objected to humans exploring space in person. But Tim Peake argues the counter case convincingly enough that, whether we like it or not, human crewed Space Flight is here to stay and the job will merely continue to grow. The only question is, where will they and the job itself journey to?
  
• 
  George Otte

  The point of the subtitle is to stress the human element so often obscured in stories of spaceflight focusing more on technology, Cold War politics, etc. Many of the stories here may not be new, but the details often are, like the letter Yuri Gagarin wrote to his wife and daughter before that first flight he had a 50/50 chance of returning from (literally, given the number of failed launches before the one that counted). Tim Peake, himself an astronaut with 186 days in space, knows there is no flight that is uneventful or glitch-free, and some expose the humans involved to harrowing dangers and more than a few tragic ends. Some of these flights’ stories feel familiar and well known (like that of Apollo 13, especially after the hit movie, or the Challenger and Columbia disasters of the space shuttle period); others are more obscure, like the fatal crash of Soyuz 1 when its parachutes failed to deploy, or the fate of Soyuz 11, when loss of oxygen prior to reentry gave its three crew members the unenviable distinction of being the only humans thus far to die in space. (Many stories of the Soviet efforts and especially their failures are relatively new to use, since they were kept under wraps for decades.) One blind spot in the book is any attention to the more recent efforts by private enterprises like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. It may be that Peake shares most astronauts’ disdain for these ventures, at least as they have played out thus far. Compensating for this omission is the way Peake taps both his personal experience as an astronaut and his knowledge of others’ to make his account rich in telling detail. This is especially true of the way he ends the book's sections like “Getting off the Ground” and “Getting Home” by putting the reader vicariously in the capsule (e.g., “”… get set to feel as though the capsule is coming under machine-gun fire — fourteen pyrotechnic bolts popping off in rapid sequence”). A few years ago, such accounts could seem the strains of a kind of swan song for the space race, but the idea of going to Mars and back to the Moon outlined in 1969 with NASA’s paper the “The Post-Apollo Space Program — Directions for the Future” seems to moving from plan to practice, especially with the Artemis missions to return to the Moon, already underway. One can certainly hope and even expect flights to the Moon and Mars in the not-too-distant future. Peake’s book shows there was once a hard-earned way; now there seems to be a renewed will.
• 
  Simon Howard

  I received this book as a particularly well-chosen Christmas present, just a few months after I finished Tim Marshall’s excellent book The Future of Geography. While Marshall’s book considers space in geopolitical terms, Peake concentrates on the human experience of space flight, from the first cosmonauts to the current Artemis programme.
  
  Peake’s experience in space means he can bring personal insights into much he discusses, and he’s also a great writer. It helps that his focus in this book is on humans, which means that it doesn’t get excessively bogged down in discussion of the technology of spaceflight, which I have sometimes found hard to follow in other books.
  
  Rather than recounting the history of human spaceflight chronologically, Peake tackles it thematically. For example, the early part of the book covers the process of astronaut recruitment and selection, and Peake shows how this has changed over time. There’s a lot of social history woven through the narrative, which I felt added some extra interest. I found this an inspiring read.
  
  Peake discusses the unique contribution that humans can make to space exploration. This section prompted me to reflect: in many areas of life, we’re used to considering how robots can replace humans. In spaceflight, the discussion seemed to start from the opposite point, looking for the areas in which the unique contribution of humans displaces the automatic assumption of using robots. With the expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence and automation becoming ever-more common, including in medicine, I wondered whether this might be a worthwhile thought experiment. If we assume that everything can be done by robots and algorithms, where can humans bring added value? I suspect the conclusions may be more nuanced and helpful than just thinking about which bits of a process can be replaced by automation. It’s an approach I might steal for future discussions about my own work.
  
  I’ve read a fair amount about space exploration over the years, so much of this book’s content was already familiar. However, Peake’s enthusiasm and insight made for an enjoyable read, and his approach to telling the story highlighted areas I’d perhaps under-considered. I raced through this and would thoroughly recommend it.
• 
  Brendan Newport

  I've been reading histories and biographies concerned with manned spaceflight for decades now. I remember the first book I read on the subject We Seven, published in the late 1960s and written by the original 7 Mercury Program astronauts. I borrowed it from my local library and then borrowed other books on the subject, building up some knowledge on the subject.
  
  Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff remains likely the most enthralling account of the early US astronaut pioneers. Tim Peake has done well to find new material that Wolfe never uncovered. Some of the tales can be scary, or, often-as-not, because of the nature of the humans involved, who have to possess a sense-of-humour, are amusing. The reason Michael Collins was rejected from the initial Mercury draft is very amusing, but I won't spoil it here.
  
  Peake has find quite a lot of original material, and written well (almost) throughout. His lengthy account of his return to Earth in a Soyuz capsule is outstanding. Sometimes his writing, particularly in the earliest sections, is beset with a 'jokey' style which gets a little too wearing on occasions. And then suddenly it's dropped, as if he was perhaps writing the book at a different time of the day, or had given-up coffee? Whatever the cause, after around 50 pages, those little quips in the text and footnotes are dropped, and the book finds its pace and style. The supplied photo pages are decent enough, though some captions don't seem to match the photo you assume they are for.
  
  There's a good focus on Russian endeavours, and the key astronauts and administrators. Inevitably though its US missions and those who crewed them which enjoy the most coverage. Perhaps the best takeaway from Space: The Human Story is that the humans involved aren't supermen (or superwomen for that matter) and the first few cohorts of astronauts certainly possessed amongst them, a few with characters that certainly didn't hesitate to rebel or kick-back. John Young's smuggled corn beef sandwich is perhaps the best known example, but there were plenty of others.
• 
  Rick

  2023 Review 141. Space : The Human Story by Tim Peake, narrated by Tim Peake
  
  Audiobook Length : 10 hours 18 minutes
  
  This was not the kind of book that I expected.
  
  I thought this was going to be a history of early space travel, instead it seems to be a book about actually getting the job of being an astronaut (a 1 hour 13 minute chapter is devoted to this).
  
  The further I get into this book there are bits of history talked about, but there are also lots of quotes from other astronauts who have written books and an awful lot about the training for becoming an astronaut (2 entire chapters about it).
  
  There is also a lot of the author talking about his own career and how he was at the time classed as the last astronaut trainee in his induction group to fly as he saw a management document left in a printer tray by mistake.
  
  The subject matter in this book bounces around in its timeline for example one minute it will be in the Mercury-Gemini-Apollo times before jumping to the Space shuttle era and then back again.
  
  It's quite confusing.
  
  There are sections about the Russian space program, but it isn't as numerous as the NASA program.
  
  I thought in a book titled Space : The Human Story it would have focused on every nation with a space program rather than just NASA (National Aeronautics Space Administration).
  
  There is a bit of dialogue in this book which wasn't proofread as when describing the launch of Gemini 8, the author mentioned that the mission launched in March 1996 when in fact it was March 1966!
  
  Early in this book, the author mentions that a mission is planned to build a permanent base at Shackleton crater at the moon's South Pole. Has the author watched the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind ?
  
  As the book progressed, I did find myself enjoying it but wish that the time line didn't jump around so much.
  
  4*
  ****
  
• 
  Robert Webber

  A thoroughly enjoyable recount of the adventures of the 628 human beings who have thus far reached Space. I am particularly interested in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programmes because I grew up during this era and was captivated by the wonder of manned space flight and the journey to the Moon. Some of the anecdotage in this highly readable account however, suggests that many flights were far more ‘by the seat of the pants’ than it appeared to me at the time. This makes an interesting contrast with the proposed ‘Artemis’ space flights which will renew manned space flight to the Moon and which will benefit from almost 60 years of digital communication and computer development. Another contrast between the first manned space flights and the Shuttle and Space Station eras is the familiarity with the astronaut personnel of that era whose names such as Glenn, Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins were familiar to many of us compared to the anonymity of the equally brave and skilful latter group.
  
  This is a most enjoyable read for those who are familiar with the era of manned space flight and those dipping their toe in the subject for the first time. Recommended
• 
  Fiona

  I’m going to see Tim Peake in a couple of months times so I wanted to read some of his books before I go. This one covers the entire journey of manned space flight from the space race up to the Artemis missions and the planned ventures to Mars.
  
  I think this was really well done and it did a great job of covering everything, keeping everything interesting and not letting it go stale. I think if he’d told everything in chronological order it would’ve had too many ups and downs in terms of interest. Instead, he jumped between all the different eras of space flight related to each stage of a journey into space. It made it a really quick and interesting read.
  
  I love learning more about old missions, and I liked the fact he didn’t just cover NASA missions, but the Soviet Union and Russia too.
  
  I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in space flight and astronauts - he keeps it light and fun but deals with some huge historical events with a really good hand.
  
  4/4.5 out of 5 stars for me.
• 
  Angus Murchie

  Excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very well written, humorous and extremely informative. You know it’s a good book when you quote parts to your wife. Astronauts and cosmonauts are a breed apart and space is a brutal environment where even the best trained, most skilled, supremely professional and the most calm under intense pressure can still die through no fault of their own. The cost of political pressure on human lives and the blatant disregard for the safety of Russian crews in the race to be first is a reminder of how little regard for human life totalitarian states have, if it were needed.
  
  The development of the role of astronauts over time is fascinating, as is the gradual development of the knowledge of how to operate in such a lethal environment.
  
  Strangely enough the story of how the food for astronauts has developed over 60 years and the fundamental contribution to that by Rita Rapp is one of the most fascinating and unsung stories found in this book.
  
  Thoroughly recommended for anybody with an interest in space flight.
• 
  Lizzie

  Getting a man to space came with almost insurmountable challenges. The race between Russia and America to do that was tense and often the task seemed impossible. Since those first flights, space flight has turned into space travel and space life. But there are always new challenges to be overcome.
  
  I love space. I love the idea of being out there and discovering new things. I would love to see Earth from a whole different perspective. Space travel is not easy though, or comfortable, or often even safe. This is a really accessible book charting the history of space flight. It's made up of anecdotes from the early travellers, like the corned beef sandwich incident, mechanical and engineering descriptions of what it took at each stage and later some of Tim Peake's own experiences.
  There were a lot of more personal stories about what various astronauts got up to on the ground, on the shuttles and on the stations. This wasn't just pure sciences, and it made a very engaging and fun read.
• 
  Dawn Tyers

  Tim Peake brings deep passion for his subject and with insider knowledge explores what it really takes to be an astronaut. The hardships, dedication and determination of all involved are made very real in this book which is fluently written in such a style as to make a very complicated subject matter accessible to laypeople. Peake gives us a lot of background information and details from missions that were not revealed in some cases for years following their occurrence. This is a highly entertaining book and deeply satisfying too. How wonderful to have the spotlight on those who took, and continue to take, the risks in that irresistible endeavour to expand our knowledge of what’s out there and from where we came.
• 
  Beth

  As the nerd that I am, anything this man writes I want to consume. I had expected more of his own personal experiences in space and onboard the International Space Station but there is a book written for precisely that. This is the story of the human condition and how we as people made it there, stayed there and any issues that have ever arisen from those goals. Incredibly well written and thought provoking, Space: The Human Story is the perfect book for every child who looked up at the sky and wanted more than anything to be among the stars. I was that child and am now that adult so this book felt breathtakingly beautiful to me.
• 
  Ruth McAvinia

  I definitely don’t share a sense of humour with Tim Peake. His asides are firmly in Dad-joke territory, or lean on the book written by Mike Mullane that I hated for other reasons. There are some good anecdotes in here but chronologically jumbled and written rather strangely. I’m not sure why Tim moves into the second person when he talks about his own flight experience but perhaps the psychologists would enjoy it. There are also many very long-winded sentences and contemporary references that grate. Overall I had the impression that he talked into a voice recorder for a couple of days and had someone type it up.