World Famous Comics: Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1)
Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1)
By: Homer Hickam Publisher: Delta Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 368 Publication Date: January 11, 2000 Release Date: January 11, 2000 Studio: Delta
Product Description: The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir that inspired the film October Sky,Rocket Boys is a uniquely American memoir--a powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the dawn of the 1960s, of a mother's love and a father's fears, of a group of young men who dreamed of launching rockets into outer space . . . and who made those dreams come true.
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, even in a company town that swallowed its men alive. 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.
Now with 8 pages of photographs.
Amazon.com Review: Inspired by Werner von Braun and his Cape Canaveral team, 14-year-old Homer Hickam decided in 1957 to build his own rockets. They were his ticket out of Coalwood, West Virginia, a mining town that everyone knew was dying--everyone except Sonny's father, the mine superintendent and a company man so dedicated that his family rarely saw him. Hickam's smart, iconoclastic mother wanted her son to become something more than a miner and, along with a female science teacher, encouraged the efforts of his grandiosely named Big Creek Missile Agency. He grew up to be a NASA engineer and his memoir of the bumpy ride toward a gold medal at the National Science Fair in 1960--an unprecedented honor for a miner's kid--is rich in humor as well as warm sentiment. Hickam vividly evokes a world of close communal ties in which a storekeeper who sold him saltpeter warned, "Listen, rocket boy. This stuff can blow you to kingdom come." Hickam is candid about the deep disagreements and tensions in his parents' marriage, even as he movingly depicts their quiet loyalty to each other. The portrait of his ultimately successful campaign to win his aloof father's respect is equally affecting. --Wendy Smith
Delightful memoir ^ Homer Hickam Jr. fell in love with rockets at an early age. Other boys might idolize movie stars or football players, but Homer's hero was always Wernher von Braun. The launching of the Soviet Sputnik spurred Homer on to attempt to develop a rocket that would help the U.S. catch up in the space race. He and his buddies formed a group dedicated to rocket experiments, much to the chagrin of his father and the delight of his mother. His father hoped that Homer would follow in his footsteps and become superintendant of a coal mine in West Virginia, while his mother wanted him to escape from what she felt was a doomed future in the mines. With wit and compassion, Hickam recreates the events and people in the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia, where he grew up. He describes the dynamics of his family in which his father favored his football-playing older brother and his mother good-naturedly supported his adventures and misadventures in creating, designing and igniting a series of ever more complicated rockets. This is a delightful memoir, humorous and poignant, which evokes small-town America in the 50's. It shows that the seeds which are sown in a young person's life can truly bear fruit when he reaches maturity and that both those who encourage and discourage him can have a bearing on that person's success.
Must Read ^ If you are someone who struggles with reading due to a learning disability then you probably struggle to read. I know I do. Well, this book goes down like a cold glass of water on a hot day. You can't stop. Mr. Hickam is an immensely talented author. This is a worthwhile read for almost any age. I read it when I was 33 and loved it. Books like this are rare do yourself a favor and read it. Very few books make time disappear and this is one of them. As a word of caution, The Coalwood Way, the sequel to October Sky/Rocket Boys, is not half as good as this one.
Terrific Book......Part Of A Tradition ^ I decided to pick up Rocket Boys after seeing "October Sky" with my son. October Sky, (OS) is one of the movies that was included as part of a tradition my son and I had started when he was a youngin', and still continuing today. October Sky is what I refer to as a "Dad" movie, or any movie that was either about, or included a sub plot that reflected a relationship between a father and his son. Anyone that has seen OS knows that this wonderful movie very much accomplishes that prerequisite. Other examples over the years included "Field of Dreams", "Road To Perdition" and "The Fighting Sullivans". Although my son is all grown up now, we still try to get together on occasion whenever a new Dad movie either comes along, or is discovered. I really don't expect him to make a point in his life anymore to seek out and secure every one there is available. I am happy that he at least remembers it, and joins me on watching one with me every once in a while.
Reading any book together that inspired the Dad movies has not ever been part of the tradition, (that one is mine alone). And Rocket Boys (RB) is no exception. I bought RB after seeing OS, for I was very much interested in seeing just what liberties were taken with the theatrical version. Not only that, but I was also so fascinated with this truly amazing real life story, that I couldn't wait to read all the furthur details of Homer Hickam and the rocket boys life and times. I really do not want this to be just another review where I talk about Hickam's writing style, his portrayal of characters, or the differences between his book, and the movie. Let it suffice that if you loved OS and just felt at the end of it that you wished it could have just continued on a while longer, than Rocket Boys is something you should definitely take the time to read. Basically it follows the movie very well, except like any book that inspires a movie version, there is a tremendous amount of more, and greater detail about everything. Hickam's home life, the relationship with his brother, and girls, his trials and tribulations with designing and building his rocket, along with the true story of his trip to the science fair finals. If everything that is in the book was included in the movie, it would have been at least twice as long as it was. Which for those of us that loved the movie, would have been just fine.
If you are someone that is fortunate enough to have a tradition such as mine, or are just someone that loved October Sky for just the wonderful, heart warming, intricate portrayal that it was, I urge you to pick up a copy of Rocket Boys. The last thing this true story is, is one of those books that is so different from the movie that you will find yourself disappointed. It will not in any way portray anything that you are not already familiar with, transport you to a different place, or introduce you to any new characters that will leave you abandoned from what the movies visuals instilled in you. It is basically October Sky, the complete story. Highly recommended...
great read ^ This is a great book, whether required reading or not. Shipping was fast and the book was in great shape!
Both the Book and Movie are Good! ^ Written in a folksy kind of style this book really brings up fond memories of one's own childhood and how dreaming is as important as doing. It really gives you an 'anything is possible' kind of feeling.
Technically speaking the typeface is easy to read as well. I would highly recommend this book. You certainly won't be disappointed.
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