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The Right Stuff
Audible Audiobook
– Unabridged
From "America's nerviest journalist" (Newsweek) - a breathtaking epic, a magnificent adventure story, and an investigation into the true heroism and courage of the first Americans to conquer space. "Tom Wolfe at his very best" (The New York Times Book Review)
Millions of words have poured forth about man's trip to the moon, but until now few people have had a sense of the most engrossing side of the adventure: namely, what went on in the minds of the astronauts themselves - in space, on the moon, and even during certain odysseys on earth. It is this, the inner life of the astronauts, that Tom Wolfe describes with his almost uncanny empathetic powers that made The Right Stuff a classic.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tom Wolfe is the author of more than a dozen books, among them such contemporary classics as The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Right Stuff, The Bonfire of the Vanities and A Man in Full. A native of Richmond, Virginia, he earned his B.A. at Washington and Lee University and a PhD. in American studies at Yale. He lives in New York City.
ABOUT THE NARRATOR
Dennis Quaid is renowned for his distinct portrayals in both comedic and dramatic roles over the past forty years. Quaid can next be seen in Roadside Attraction's faith-based film I Can Only Imagine which will be released on March 16, 2018.
Dennis most recently stared in Crackle's auctioneering drama The Art of More on which he also served as an executive producer. On the big screen, he was recently seen starring in Universal's A Dog's Purpose as well as in the fact-based drama Truth. He will next begin filming the third season of the BAFTA award-nominated television series Fortitude and recently completed production on Lionsgate's Kin with James Franco.
Quaid began to gain attention in the late 1970s for roles in such films as Breaking Away before gaining public and critical acclaim for his role in the 1983 release The Right Stuff. Other notable credits include The Rookie, The Day After Tomorrow, Traffic, Vantage Point, Frequency, The Parent Trap, and Soul Surfer. For his role in Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven he won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. In 2010 he was nominated for numerous awards including a SAG Award, an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Bill Clinton in the TV Movie, A Special Relationship.
- Listening Length15 hours and 42 minutes
- Audible release dateFebruary 6, 2018
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB077K6P2XP
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 15 hours and 42 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Tom Wolfe |
Narrator | Dennis Quaid |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com Release Date | February 06, 2018 |
Publisher | Audible Studios |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B077K6P2XP |
Best Sellers Rank |
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Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book a masterful read that surpasses the movie adaptation, with engaging storytelling that captures a unique period in American history. The writing is well-crafted, and customers appreciate its humor, with one noting how the sardonic take on details made them laugh. The book provides extensive insights into the astronauts' personalities and motivations, and customers praise its colorful scenes and quick pace.
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Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as masterful and better than the movie adaptation, with one customer noting it was a great read in 2022.
"Everyone should read this book. It's so interesting! And this isn't the kind of book I typically choose...." Read more
"...Through his vivid storytelling, he captures the engineering feats, NASA’s groundbreaking developments, and the rigorous process of selecting,..." Read more
"...that are not commonly known throughout the book, making it a worthwhile read." Read more
"The Right Stuff is not only an important book, but a fun, engaging, and adventure book...." Read more
Customers appreciate the storytelling in the book, finding it an exciting time in American history and praising the author's extraordinary narrative skills.
"...Through his vivid storytelling, he captures the engineering feats, NASA’s groundbreaking developments, and the rigorous process of selecting,..." Read more
"This is a people-oriented look at America's entry into space...." Read more
"...very well written and reasearched book, but even at best it’s just decent history. And, indeed, I don’t believe that was the author’s purpose...." Read more
"...This book is filled with historical information. The book takes place in 1957-1963. During the Cold War many historical space events occurred...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it well-crafted and easy to read, with one customer noting it reads like a fiction book.
"The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is a beautifully written account of one of the most thrilling periods in American history...." Read more
"...I give him five stars because of his revealing portrayals of characters. They are accurate enough, I think, and they will be remembered...." Read more
"...just puts his theories out there, front and center, and then writes with such force – with repeated interjections, sometimes with exclamations! –..." Read more
"...the formatting process, however, as there are several typographical errors throughout the book..." Read more
Customers find the book insightful and informative, with well-researched content that provides context and reveals the mentality of its subjects.
"...me to that time, providing a fascinating glimpse into the courage, determination, and competitive spirit that defined the early days of space..." Read more
"...some nonfiction book; this story may be (at least in some sense) true, but it reads like a novel...." Read more
"...To be sure this is a very well written and reasearched book, but even at best it’s just decent history...." Read more
"...to lived the events first hand, this book offer extensive insight into the struggles and triumphs that would ultimately lead to mankind landing on..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's humor, finding it often witty and filled with sarcasm, with one customer noting its sardonic take on many details that had them laughing.
"...Wolfe writes in a somewhat conversational style, working to capture the mentality of test pilots of that era and how it defined what it meant to be..." Read more
"...Wolfe's style is light and often witty. He uses jargon, colorful figures of speech, and hyperbole...." Read more
"...The writer uses wit, sarcasm, and the truth to present a pretty factual tale of the people who have “the right stuff”...." Read more
"...At times it's hilarious, other times maddeningly wordy. Sometimes interesting, other times it wanders into the weeds...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of the astronauts' personalities, describing them as adventurers with extraordinary qualities.
"...paperback edition with a great pop-art cover and an introduction from Astronaut Scott Kelly that helps to capture of the legacy of “The Right Stuff.”..." Read more
"...This book truly transported me to that time, providing a fascinating glimpse into the courage, determination, and competitive spirit that defined..." Read more
"...fiction fans could be inspired by a (more or less) true account of fighter pilot personality and how their influence (or lack thereof) could impact..." Read more
"...The characters were very interesting though, at first they were kind of low down and rowdy, but as the story progresses they end up much more mature..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's style, finding it beyond interesting with colorful scenes and an amazingly smart approach. One customer notes how it matches the subject matter exquisitely, while another compares it to the literary elegance of Robert Frost.
"...This Vintage Classics copy is a nice paperback edition with a great pop-art cover and an introduction from Astronaut Scott Kelly that helps to..." Read more
"...Wolfe's style is light and often witty. He uses jargon, colorful figures of speech, and hyperbole...." Read more
".../perceived hierarchies within the armed services as well as colorful scenes which really help to imbue fighter pilots/test pilots in general as a..." Read more
"...his prose is punchy, raw, economical, and it matches the subject matter exquisitely...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some appreciating its quick pace while others find it slow.
"...Planes the were faster, more agile, and had more altitude. The Cold War was heating up when in 1957. The Russian launched Sputnik 1 into space...." Read more
"...I lived the years of which he writes and he has caught the time perfectly...." Read more
"...I found the book to be a very slow read for me...." Read more
"...It only grew from there. Wolfe's style, pacing, and his narrative voice demonstrate an extraordinary gift of storytelling surpassing many past and..." Read more
Reviews with images

Courage Among the Stars
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2025Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseEveryone should read this book. It's so interesting! And this isn't the kind of book I typically choose. The addition of the photos really helps me to understand the space efforts better. But it is large, if you read on-the-go, try a smaller version without pics. You'll love it either way.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2021Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book, “The Right Stuff,” chronicles the diverging research of high-altitude rocket planes and spaceflight from the early 1950s through Project Mercury, contrasting the Mercury Seven astronauts with test pilots at Edwards AFB and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, with Chuck Yeager standing out as exemplifying the “right stuff” even though he was not chosen for the space program. Wolfe writes in a somewhat conversational style, working to capture the mentality of test pilots of that era and how it defined what it meant to be a pilot for generations to come, much as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and others did for pilots of the early twentieth century. Wolfe further evokes the heady emotion of the days of Mercury, when the immediacy of the Cold War turned the Space Race into a battlefront of sorts and the astronauts into Single Combat Warriors to whom the public paid homage. However, Wolfe points out that the test pilots at Edwards were skeptical of the space program, particularly as those running it initially conceived of the pilot as little more than a passenger in a capsule. Meanwhile, the test pilots in the high desert were flying rocket planes to altitudes that required the same skills as a spacecraft, such as control of attitude jets since the air was too thin – or nonexistent – for the plane’s control surfaces to work as the plane had crossed the boundary into space. Despite these achievements, the astronauts captured the public’s imagination and eventually succeeded in using their public positions to regain some of their status as pilots, though the heady days of Mercury did not last into the Gemini and Apollo programs, where spaceflight became more routine as astronauts were longer regaled as Single Combat Warriors.
The style and success of Wolfe’s book ensured its adaptation and Hollywood has done so twice, first in Philip Kaufman’s 1983 film and again in the 2020 television series from National Geographic. This Vintage Classics copy is a nice paperback edition with a great pop-art cover and an introduction from Astronaut Scott Kelly that helps to capture of the legacy of “The Right Stuff.” Something appears to have gone wrong during the formatting process, however, as there are several typographical errors throughout the book (extraneous letters jumbled in the middle of words, words divided by a hyphen as if they were meant to be split between two lines, and multiple instances of the number 1 in place of an “l” or an “I”). These occur often enough to be noticeable, but thankfully Wolfe’s narrative is engrossing and makes up for it.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2024The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is a beautifully written account of one of the most thrilling periods in American history. I’ve always been curious about the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, and Wolfe masterfully brings this era to life. Through his vivid storytelling, he captures the engineering feats, NASA’s groundbreaking developments, and the rigorous process of selecting, training, and launching astronauts into space. Wolfe has a way of making you feel the palpable tension of the 1960s—Americans' fear of Soviet advances and their joy at each landmark mission, from Al Shepard's first suborbital flight to John Glenn's orbital mission. This book truly transported me to that time, providing a fascinating glimpse into the courage, determination, and competitive spirit that defined the early days of space exploration.
4.0 out of 5 starsThe Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is a beautifully written account of one of the most thrilling periods in American history. I’ve always been curious about the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, and Wolfe masterfully brings this era to life. Through his vivid storytelling, he captures the engineering feats, NASA’s groundbreaking developments, and the rigorous process of selecting, training, and launching astronauts into space. Wolfe has a way of making you feel the palpable tension of the 1960s—Americans' fear of Soviet advances and their joy at each landmark mission, from Al Shepard's first suborbital flight to John Glenn's orbital mission. This book truly transported me to that time, providing a fascinating glimpse into the courage, determination, and competitive spirit that defined the early days of space exploration.Courage Among the Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2024
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2011This is a people-oriented look at America's entry into space. It begins with test pilots in the late 1940s and into the 1950s, especially with the guy who broke the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager. Then, after America's space program gets a jolt from the USSR's launching of the Sputnik, the story proceeds through Project Mercury to the last Mercury mission in 1963.
Be advised, Tom Wolfe does not give us a comprehensive account of Project Mercury. The astronauts, their wives, NASA people, Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy, and a few other characters play roles in the story, and sometimes--particularly regarding the astronauts and their wives--the focus on them is close. But a great amount of material regarding the Mercury missions is omitted or is given only cursory examination. Obviously there is more to the history of America's early space program than the people. Even so, I doubt if the formal history, THIS NEW OCEAN: A HISTORY OF PROJECT MERCURY, includes the information about people that Wolfe includes. I may change my mind after reading THIS NEW OCEAN, but for now I think both books are necessary for a complete picture.
Also be advised, THE RIGHT STUFF is not written in the conventional style of historical narration. Wolfe's style is light and often witty. He uses jargon, colorful figures of speech, and hyperbole. With amazon's "Look Inside" feature, I read the first pages of THIS NEW OCEAN. Its prose is conventional nonfiction, like something found on the front page of a newspaper. Wolfe's prose is like something found in editorial pages or in a breezy novel.
There are no footnotes and no index. In his "Author's Note" at the end, Wolfe provides a brief bibliography.
Many of Wolfe's paragraphs are too long, but this is the only thing I condemn unequivocally as a flaw. For history I do prefer straightforward factual narration, not flippancy, and if I were writing this only to myself, I would consider that flippancy a flaw. Nevertheless, the acclaim this book has received indicates that most other readers are not bothered by Wolfe's style. So you will probably not consider it a flaw.
Though some of Wolfe's details are inaccurate, details are soon forgotten anyway, and for this book I think they are not worth harping about. I give him five stars because of his revealing portrayals of characters. They are accurate enough, I think, and they will be remembered.
P.S. July 30, 2012:
I tried reading THIS NEW OCEAN: A HISTORY OF THE MERCURY PROJECT, which is NASA's official history of the Mercury Project. It was tedious, made more so by its lack of a list of abbreviations and an index. Though John Catchpole's PROJECT MERCURY was written with the same matter-of-fact, term-paper prose, it had a list of abbreviations and an index and was more readable. Though I had to work to get it and though I had to pay a steep price for his book, Catchpole at least gave me the information that Tom Wolfe left out.
Top reviews from other countries
- PhilippeReviewed in France on July 23, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars The right stuff too
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseAs far as writing goes, this book deserves to be put on the 100 books to read in a lifetime.
It feels... true!
No amount of research can make a good book if the on holding the pen to write it doesn't know how to put it right there in front of the readers eyes and make it feel true.
And that's exactly what Wolfe does, as very few authors know how to do.
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Jurica GreguricReviewed in Germany on January 17, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic!
Classic. Right. Stuff. For every true flight lover this book is a must read and must have. Together with the movie!
- Flip van DuijnReviewed in the Netherlands on September 7, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful read about the beginning of American Space exploration
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseI saw the movie "the Right Stuff" years ago. I wondered if the book might me interesting too. It is. Definitely worth reading. Exiting. Funny and very well documented.
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Darío PozoReviewed in Spain on January 22, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Lo que hay que tener
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseUna gran lectura, tremendamente interesante (¡muy bien documentada!) y por momentos también muy divertida, que permite entender cómo fueron los primeros pasos en la carrera espacial, qué riesgos se asumieron y cómo eran las personas que decidieron correrlos.
- The scrutineerReviewed in Canada on September 26, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Modern masterpiece
Tom Wolfe masterpiece, a real treasure on space exploration.