The X-15 Rocket Plane

June 15, 2013

This is the latest entry in a series that emphasizes personalities over technology and nationalism. Evans (founder, Mach 25 Media) covers this rocket-powered aircraft, a pioneer of the U.S. space program and one that evolved through numerous malfunctions and modifications, by means of profiles of individuals involved in the X-15 program. The 12 pilots included (five from NASA, five from the U.S. Air Force, with one each from North American Aviation and the U.S. Navy) flew 199 missions in the rocket plane from June 1959 until October 1968, with pilots William "Pete" Knight attaining Mach 6.70 and Joseph A. Walker climbing to a maximum altitude of 67 miles. Heavily sourced through 70 participant interviews, the pilot profiles cover not only the individuals who flew the craft but also their flight planners, managers, mechanics, engineers, scientists, and even family members. Aerospace specialists and aficionados will appreciate Evans's introduction detailing her lifelong interest in space exploration and her afterword, which offers a poignant necrology of X-15 staff. A foreword by Major General Joe H. Engle comments on his own crowded hours as a 16-mission pilot. The book includes a modest glossary; additional photographs may be found on the author's website, www.mach25media.com/x11501.html. VERDICT A cogently written and well-deserved tribute to the individuals who helped take a winged rocket beyond Earth's confining atmosphere.--John Carver Edwards, Univ. of Georgia Libs., Cleveland

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.