Review - The Mercury 13 by Martha Ackmann

The Mercury 13 by Martha Ackmann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great book to start my 2014 reading year. It has undeservedly languished on my shelves for nearly 8 years.

Ackmann tells the story of 13 women who passed the same or equivalent tests as those given to the Mercury 7 and other astronaut selectees of the 1960's. In roughly chronological order, she describes the development of a "girl astronaut" program by the U.S. Air Force, its cancellation, a subsequent private program, and how Congress and NASA eventually shut down even that avenue. The story is mostly told through the experiential lens of one of the women, Jerrie Cobb, who is the first to undergo testing. Ackmann tends to lionize Cobb somewhat but it's hard to blame her; each of these women had extraordinary accomplishments in their lifetimes.

The story is rife with the sexism of the time and Ackmann makes clear what is helping these women and what is holding them back. What makes this a 5-star read is Ackmann's skill at never over-demonizing any one person or institution. Using letters, government documents, medical records, and interviews, she has crafted a meticulous story that details how and why these women were denied their dreams of flying higher than ever before. While there are certainly heroes and villains in this story, the author backs up these positions with evidence and places it firmly in the context of prevailing social thought of the time.

Ackmann also does a tremendous job at showing how the approaches of the various women affected the outcome of their aspirations. She frames this through the conflict of Jerrie Cobb versus Jackie Cochran, another famous aviator of the time. As a reader, it was frustrating to read how Cobb and Janey Hart laid out valid points about women's inclusion in space exploration and to watch Cochran, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, and George Low prevail by using the social mores of the time as cover. It is a credit to the author that this frustration comes through and a credit to these amazing women that they didn't lost it on the spot.

The rhetoric presented in this book bears a remarkable resemblance to the current "discussion" about women joining the ranks of combat troops. It could also easily be extended to the remaining arguments about homosexuals in the military. The facts and rebuttals presented by these women are just as true today as they were 60 years ago.

The story ends on a strong note, detailing that many of the remaining Mercury 13 pilots met to watch Eileen Collins' flight as the first female pilot of the Shuttle. It is fortunate that Ackmann captured their stories before these amazing women are lost to us, and history, forever.

I consider myself reasonably well read on the history of NASA and particularly the space race of the 60's, and some U.S. social history. Nonetheless, I learned a tremendous amount in completing this highly readable history. Strongly recommended for readers interested in space exploration, pilots, military doctrine, NASA's history, and social issues.

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