I saw that this book was highly recommended in a Washington Post article so I added it to my TBR list. I thought from the title that it was going to be an in-depth look at what happened to the Challenger but, having Christa McAuliffe's name in the title, should have told me otherwise. This book was really about the people lost in the disaster. Although it mostly centers on the "Teacher in Space," it also tells us about each and every astronaut that was on that mission. I feel like a know they all so much more intimately now, even in this relatively short book, and it makes me appreciate their sacrifices all the more. I was expecting a technical science-type book but got a very human story instead and I was not at all sorry about that. It is important to make people of our "heroes" which makes them even more heroic in my book. I definitely recommend this book. ( )

When Christa McAuliffe was chosen as the Teacher in Space, school children around the world cheered and watched as the Challenger space shuttle exploded after takeoff. This book tells the story of Christa, the Challenger astronauts, and the aftermath of the explosion.

What a heartbreaking story! I found myself instantly drawn to Christa's charisma and charm. The book was well written and engaging and I felt like I knew each of the 7 crew members. This book did not overwhelm with technical jargon, but gave explanations that were easy to understand. Overall, highly recommended. ( )

The Challenger was supposed to be the way the United States reclaimed the importance of space flight. Ronald Reagan, realizing he did not have the support of the teacher's unions, decided that sending a teacher into space and stressing the important role teachers play in our society was the best thing to do. Christa McAullife was the lucky winner and began a whirlwind period of tv interviews and learning how to survive in space. After multiple delays, the crew boards the shuttle on January 28, 1986, and waits for the countdown. Minutes after taking off, the unimaginable happens. There is an explosion and the worst occurs. It is originally believed that the crew of the Challenger died during the explosion but this book reveals the truth.

I remembering watching the replay of the shuttle explosion while eating lunch at home and didn't really understand the implications of what had happened. Reading about it over 30 years later helped me better understand what happened that day and the way it affected the nation. Kevin Cook did an exceptional job of breaking down each astronaut's days leading up to the flight and then how heartbroken the families were. This is my second book by Kevin Cook and I am looking forward to reading more. ( )

January 28, 1986. One of those moments you always remember. The live TV coverage of the destruction of the Challenger shuttle.

Over the years I’ve read and learned a lot about what happened that day, and the mistakes that led up to it. I still use an example from the miscommunication in my content strategy workshops.

Was there really anything new to say about it? Kevin Cook’s new book shines a more personal spotlight on the tragedy. While inevitably focused on the lost “teacher-in-space” Christa McAuliffe it also provides insights into the rest of the Challenger Seven and their families both before and after that fateful launch. It’s not any easy read at times, but it’s a deeply human one in a story that’s often overtaken by the technicalities of what happened. ( )

Kevin Cook’s The Burning Blue tells the story of the human and engineering failures that resulted in the Challenger disaster of January 1986. The narrative focuses on the much hyped Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe, who accompanied the trained astronauts on the flight. Was her presence just a cynical attempt to win educators’ votes for then-President Ronald Reagan’s Republican Party? Most likely. Nonetheless McAuliffe served her purpose. Her very ordinariness was the source of her appeal, and she breathed new life into the otherwise moribund space program.

The other members of the ill-fated crew, particularly Commander Dick Scobee and flight engineer Judith Resnik, are given their due as well.

This book is an informative tribute to the brave astronauts who needlessly lost their lives on that cold January day. ( )