The Mercury 13

Starred review from April 21, 2003
In dynamic prose, Ackmann, senior lecturer in women's studies at Mount Holyoke College, relates the story of 13 female pilots who fought to become part of the nation's space program at its inception. Their tale is uplifting, a narrative of their dedication—perhaps obsession might be a better word—and sacrifice in an attempt to aid the nation in the space race against the Soviets and to experience the thrill of space flight. The story is also a depressing indictment of the rampant sexism that kept them from achieving their goal and kept the country from making productive use of their considerable talents. These 13 women, among the most accomplished pilots in the world at the time, went through many of the same challenging, even excruciating tests undergone by NASA's original seven male astronauts but, unlike the latter, the women did so in relative obscurity and often against the express wishes of all arms of the nascent space program. That each woman passed all the tests, often with scores exceeding those of the males, carried absolutely no weight with an entrenched bureaucracy. Ackmann has done a magnificent job of gathering information, conducting interviews and weaving the strands into an utterly compelling book that deserves to be widely read well beyond the circles of the usual readers about the space program. 16 pages of photos not seen by PW. Agent, Ellen Geiger. (On sale June 3)Forecast:Great reviews and good promotion—this is the story
The Right Stuff didn't tell—could lead to big sales for this terrific book.

June 1, 2003
In the early 1960s, 13 female pilots passed the first two of three rounds of testing that the Mercury 7 male astronauts had passed earlier. NASA, however, prevented the women from taking the third round, and despite much pleading and lobbying, the space agency finally ended any chance of women's participation in the Mercury program. In addition to institutional sexism, personal battles between Jerrie Cobb, one of the 13 women, and Jackie Cochran, a famous woman aviator who had funded the testing, were a factor in NASA's early exclusion of women as astronauts. Ackmann (English, Mount Holyoke Coll.) offers a feminist perspective on the space program; she does not hide her contempt for the men, whom she dismisses pejoratively as "white males." Still, her research is extensive, and her clear writing style makes the book pleasant to read and informative for both casual readers and serious historians. However, despite the book's subtitle, this is not an untold story. Though available only in Canada, Stephanie Nolan's Promised the Moon: The Untold Story of the First Women in the Space Race covers the same topic, and some of the 13 women, including Cobb, have published their autobiographies. Recommended for space flight history collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/03.]-Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado Lib., Denver

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2003
Adult/High School-In the early days of the space race, women were barred from U.S. astronaut training, but some questioned the wisdom of this policy. At the Lovelace Foundation, in a secret "girl astronaut program," a select group of female pilots underwent the same comprehensive battery of psychological and physical tests required of male candidates. Now known as the Mercury 13, these women had many aviation honors, interesting lives, and (as shown in several well-chosen black-and-white photographs) great charm. Most made crushing sacrifices to prove they had "the will, the ability and the courage" to fly in space but, despite their resounding success, received no recognition. This account finds dramatic structure in the divergent personal and political paths of two of the century's greatest female pilots, Jerrie Cobb and Jackie Cochran. Cobb, the first to be chosen for testing, helped pick subsequent participants and ultimately became a champion of their cause in the political arena. The older and more influential Cochran had opened doors to female pilots in the past, but effectively opposed female participation in the space program. Once the battle was lost in Congress, it was another 40 years before a woman finally commanded a space flight. Mercury 13 is both an outstanding work of research and an exceptionally readable and well-told story. Readers will gain new perspectives on space, medicine, women, and American culture, and will appreciate the magnitude of what was lost when the women were grounded.-Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2003
In the annals of this country's space program, the names of the original, legendary "Mercury 7" astronauts--Alan Shepard, John Glenn, and the rest--have achieved iconic status, while another group of pilots, eventually called the "Mercury 13," have languished in obscurity. The difference between the two has everything to do with issues of gender and the discriminatory attitudes that were endemic during the early 1960s, and nothing to do with their qualifications or expertise. In a long overdue group portrait, Ackmann reveals the previously unrecognized contributions of these 13 courageous women pilots, whose ambition and determination to become a part of the burgeoning space program were as fervent as that of their male counterparts, but who were denied access to the prerequisite training, testing, and preparation necessary to achieve their goals, simply because they were women. Ackmann's engrossing examination of the early days of the aerospace industry delivers both a stinging indictment of an intolerant society and a stirring endorsement of women whose valor and dedication remain inspirational.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)