NATIONAL BEST SELLER
A stunning, personal memoir from the astronaut and modern-day hero who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station—a message of hope for the future that will inspire for generations to come.
The veteran of four spaceflights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few have. Now, he takes us inside a sphere utterly hostile to human life. He describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both life-threatening and mundane: the devastating effects on the body; the isolation from everyone he loves and the comforts of Earth; the catastrophic risks of colliding with space junk; and the still more haunting threat of being unable to help should tragedy strike at home--an agonizing situation Kelly faced when, on a previous mission, his twin brother's wife, American Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was shot while he still had two months in space.
Kelly's humanity, compassion, humor, and determination resonate throughout, as he recalls his rough-and-tumble New Jersey childhood and the youthful inspiration that sparked his astounding career, and as he makes clear his belief that Mars will be the next, ultimately challenging, step in spaceflight.
In Endurance, we see the triumph of the human imagination, the strength of the human will, and the infinite wonder of the galaxy.
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"ABSOLUTELY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. I REALLY LIKE THE FACTD THAT THE AUTHOR NARRATES THE AUDIOBOOK. I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE SPACE PROGRAM FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE."
— Bonnie (5 out of 5 stars)
“The descriptions of Kelly’s comradeship with his Russian colleagues are easily the most endearing parts of the book, and provide some hope in dire geopolitical times…Behind the imposing spacesuit and perfect smile is a three-dimensional person, and Endurance offers brilliant insight into the human aspect of space travel by paying equal attention to the origin story as to its climax among the stars.”
— New York TimesCaptivating, charming . . . . [Kelly] pulls back the curtain separating the myth of the astronaut from its human realities. . . . It is easy to imagine future generations of explorers and daredevils harnessing the lessons and truths within the pages of ‘Endurance’ as the blueprints for their own trips into the unknown.
— Jaroslav Kalfar, The New York Times Book Review[Endurance] is a memoir of the right stuff that will hypnotize any space geek.
— The Wall Street JournalKelly brings life in space alive—the wonder and awe of it, and also the jagged edges, the rough parts of living in confined quarters in an alien element, far from everything familiar and beloved. . . . Endurance, with its honest, gritty descriptions of an unimaginable life, a year off Earth, is as close as most readers will come to making that voyage themselves.
— The Financial TimesKelly’s account is insightful, at times humorous, heart-tugging at others. And it’s inspiring enough to change the life of some lost kid, just like The Right Stuff did for him.
— USA TodayFor space junkies, it’s absolutely required reading. . . . We feel as though we’re right there with him. A great book.
— BooklistScott Kelly’s saga is a deeply absorbing and vivid look at a year in space and the many trials and rigors of living weightless inside a football field-sized machine traveling at 17,000 miles per hour. But Endurance satisfies far more than the reader’s technological curiosities; it is replete with humor, thrills, surreal details, and recurring moments of ordinary humanity that turn Kelly’s tale into a loving tribute to the pioneering individuals who risk all to shepherd man’s exploration of the vast beyond.
— Khaled Hosseini, author of And the Mountains EchoedRead this book and you will believe in our American future, thrill at our human potential, and laugh at the absurdities of life. Endurance is about excellence and perspective, a memorable read.
— Senator Bill BradleyThis isn’t your usual astronaut’s memoir.
— The Philadelphia TribuneScott Kelly’s book is as close as I and most everyone else on Earth will ever get to experiencing the fascinating, complex, almost preposterously dangerous business of going into space. When I closed the covers, I felt like I had been out there. Endurance is an utterly gripping book that can stand comfortably in the company of Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff.
— Charles C. Mann, author of 1491Scott Kelly’s memoir of his year in space and all that preceded it is the real thing—honest, dramatic, illuminating, and simply riveting. With clear, compelling writing, he reveals the nature of space exploration, the current state of the space program, and the raw experience of leaving Earth as has no other book.
— T.J. Stiles, author of Custer’s Trials“Kelly’s account is insightful, at times humorous, heart-tugging at others. And it’s inspiring enough to change the life of some lost kid, just like The Right Stuff did for him.”
— USA Today“A fascinating, moving, uplifting read.”
— Amazon.com“Kelly brings life in space alive—the wonder and awe of it, and also the jagged edges, the rough parts of living in confined quarters in an alien element, far from everything familiar and beloved…As close as most readers will come to making that voyage themselves.”
— Financial Times (London)" If you ever thought that an audiobook narrated by the author was a good idea, this book will change your mind. In this book Scott Kelly's voice is so laughably monotone. With no emotion in his voice he talks about how much he missed his wife, and children. No disrespect to Scott Kelly, he spent a year away from his friends and family for the sake of science but I see his year in space as largely uneventful compared to Chris Hatfield. I have not listened to the audiobook but I definitely recommend that one over this one. "
— Pryce, 11/27/2020Scott Kelly is a former military fighter pilot and test pilot, an engineer, a retired astronaut, and a retired US Navy captain. A veteran of four space flights, he commanded the International Space Station (ISS) on three expeditions and was a member of the yearlong mission to the ISS. In October 2015, he set the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space, the single longest space mission by an American astronaut.