Rating: 
Summary: Flawed crossbreed of astronaut biography and conspiracy yarn
Review: Colonel Gordon Cooper is one of the Mercury Seven, the first group of American astronauts. A test pilot from Edwards Air Force base, he flew the last and longest of the pioneering Mercury missions, dubbed Faith 7, and later went into space a second time aboard Gemini 5. A maverick at heart, Cooper fell out of favour with some of the NASA higher-ups and left the agency after being denied command of a lunar landing mission.His autobiography, Leap of Faith, is a surprising and somewhat schizoid read, mixing Cooper's space program experience with increasingly dubious episodes on UFO sightings and telepathy. The overall structure has a stitched-together feel to it, and the last third with Gordo charging off into the world of the paranormal seems to belong to another book entirely. The writing style throughout is average journalist fare - bland vocabulary, repeated words in one sentence -, but not too bad overall. Cooper's account of the space program offers no startling insights or deep emotional truths; his added personal perspective is interesting enough, though; the actual narrations of the Faith 7 flight, photographing the Himalayas, manual re-entry and all, and the 8-day Gemini mission with Pete Conrad are quite captivating. There is very little in the way of technical detail, some nice stories about training and promotional voyages, the usual photographs, and that's it. All in all, Leap of Faith remains a superficial effort. Gordo's childhood and background, his career before NASA and his family life receive preciously little attention, serving mostly to produce anecdotes or, in the case of his Air Force years, UFO speculations. Disappointing, the more so in light of the following chapters. When he's denied the chance to command an Apollo mission, Cooper leaves NASA in 1970. Some accounts claim that he was slacking off, that he carried his maverick attitude into training, while others say it was a political decision by astronaut chief Deke Slayton, who wanted to get his friend Al Shepard a flight (Leap of Faith, naturally, supports the latter point of view). It's interesting, in this regard, to compare Slayton's superb and carefully researched autobiography with Cooper's effort. After retirement, Gordo embarks on a surreal journey of X-fileish proportions, minus the humour: after some time flight testing "saucers" build by a Salt Lake City businessman and UFO believer, he is contacted by a young woman who claims to have telepathic contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence. Naturally, she describes these aliens - the "Universal Intelligence Consortium" - in such unimaginative and naively anthropocentric terms that it merits pity. But Gordo, being attracted to her and all, obviously reasons differently. And so the two spend their time together reconstructing obscure Tesla inventions, until she tells Cooper that he's been selected to take a spin aboard a real alien spaceship. Alas, the mission is scrubbed at the last minute, seemingly due to political struggles between various extraterrestrial factions. Too bad. At least Gordo is portrayed with a last holdout of scepticism throughout these strange proceedings, and undecided in the end. Ultimately, Leap of Faith merely repeats some of the popular conspiracy theories - Area 51 is there, too -, content to raise supposedly unanswered questions. Still, the example it gives of uncritical thinking and silly (often self-contradictory) logic is troubling. The epilogue, with Cooper talking about the present-day space program and a farewell to his buddy, the late Pete Conrad, comes as quite a relief. The more so since the book is riddled with a myriad of inaccuracies. To name but two of the most obvious examples, the Saturn V rocket's first stage has five engines, not eight. And Russian Cosmonaut Pavel Belyayev, who went into space but once aboard Voskhod 2, was hardly "a veteran of two spaceflights" when Cooper met him in 1965. As aviation books go, it doesn't get any sloppier than this. Regarding the UFO mutterings, they are rendered even more outlandish - if it were needed - alongside capital mistakes like these. Natural, perhaps, considering the lesser "conspiracy" fare on the market, although one must feel disappointed to find such yarn in a book carrying the name of Gordon Cooper. The benefit of doubt, mercifully, suggests that a certain Mr. Henderson did the actual writing, but the fact that Gordo obviously didn't bother much with proof-reading is distinctly unimpressive just as well. Especially when working with an author who is truly at odds with looking up basic technical and biographical data. Maverick or not, if you do an autobiography, you might as well do it right. Still, the okay passages on the space program, with Gordo's refreshing "strap-it-on-and-go" attitude shining through, prevent Leap of Faith from becoming a total disaster. When read like an adventure novel - "The Right Stuff" meets "X-Files" -, the book has some good moments, and the "owns all"-space buff will merrily add it to his collection despite the flaws (he knows where else to find the accurate data, anyway). A less specialised (or less nutty) reader, though, will find the Cooper / Henderson cooperation quite unsatisfying.
Rating: 
Summary: Earth to Gordo ... Earth to Gordo ... please come home
Review: Gordon Cooper's accounts of the early Mercury program days are a good read. Cooper covers material that will largely be familiar to readers of other space program books, but adds his own unique perspective and insight. For this reason alone, the book is worth a read. Cooper speaks frankly to the now-famous story that he encountered a UFO during his flight of Faith 7; it never happened, he says. But there are other things he's seen as a pilot that he can't explain -- things that he describes as being not-of-this-world. From there, the author loses credibility quickly when he begins to talk about his attempts to unravel the UFO mystery with his clairvoyant sidekick. The reader is left with the impression that not all of Gordo made it back from orbit. Still, the book is worth a read, and the history (or Cooper's version of it) is an important piece of the story of man's race to the moon.
Rating:
Summary: Earth to Gordo ... Earth to Gordo ... please come home
Review: Gordon Cooper's accounts of the early Mercury program days are a good read. Cooper covers material that will largely be familiar to readers of other space program books, but adds his own unique perspective and insight. For this reason alone, the book is worth a read. Cooper speaks frankly to the now-famous story that he encountered a UFO during his flight of Faith 7; it never happened, he says. But there are other things he's seen as a pilot that he can't explain -- things that he describes as being not-of-this-world. From there, the author loses credibility quickly when he begins to talk about his attempts to unravel the UFO mystery with his clairvoyant sidekick. The reader is left with the impression that not all of Gordo made it back from orbit. Still, the book is worth a read, and the history (or Cooper's version of it) is an important piece of the story of man's race to the moon.
Rating:
Summary: Two books in one
Review: Gordon Cooper's book is actually two books in one--one very good, and one very bad. The first is an exciting document about his life as an astronaut. The second, apparently written mostly by contributor Bruce Henderson, concerns his experience with extraterrestrial aliens and the hunt for new energy sources. In the first book, Cooper recounts his 22-orbit flight aboard his Mercury capsule, Faith 7. It was fascinating reading as he described how, near the end of his flight, the capsule malfunctioned, and the only things left working were his radio and the manual controls. That he made it back to earth safely is a testament to the fighter-pilot can-do nature. Cooper also reveals the internal politics that went on in choosing the flight crews, including why he never got to go to the moon. This all makes for great reading. Cooper also discusses his belief in UFOs, and tells of his own sightings and top-secret UFO photos, and describes scientifically why a saucer is the ideal shape for an advanced style of aircraft. It's all believable, compelling and wonderful. But then Cooper begins his post-NASA life, and meets a mysterious woman named Valerie Ransone. This is where the book begins to fall apart. Ransone claims to have telepathic contact with extraterrestrial aliens, and Cooper believes her. She is able to bend spoons, a lá Uri Geller, which Cooper witnesses. She wants to form a partnership with Cooper to develop new sources of infinite energy, aided by their alien friends. In the end, the company fails, and Ransone fades from Cooper's life. I have to admit, as far fetched as this sounds, I found myself giving Cooper the benefit of the doubt. I respect the opinions of a man with advanced degrees in science, as well as space experience. After all, it is the scientist's job to ask "Why?" in an objective manner. But this is why the second half of the book fails miserably. We never hear Cooper ask "Why?" He claims that Ransone's spoon bending was not a parlor trick, but how can he be so sure? Uri Geller was revealed as a fraud. If I were a scientist and had people bending spoons in front of me, I would have immediately marched them into a scientifically controlled experiment. But Cooper did no such thing. At one point, Ransone invites Cooper to go on a genuine flying saucer ride with her alien friends. But at the last minute, the trip is cancelled. BUT OF COURSE. This is always the way these meet-the-aliens stories happen. A big build-up, and then nothing. The main reason this part of the book is so bad is the narrative voice. Bruce Henderson writes it as if it were a work of fiction, as a melodramatic narrative of Gordo and Valerie's struggles together. And though the objective of their business, Advanced Technology Group, sounds impressive, we never get more than a gloss concerning what they actually did. In the end, Ransone comes off sounding like a nut. And Cooper sounds like he was used. A number of reviewers have mentioned Leap of Faith's scientific inaccuracies and incorrect facts. The most glaring for me was the mention of the "Saturn VIII," an eight-engine rocket described as the "most powerful rocket ever built by man." But no rocket ever existed. The most powerful rocket ever built was the Saturn V, which had five engines in its first stage. A "Saturn VIII" was never even conceived of or designed, much less built. It's hard to imagine how such an error could have made it into a book written by an astronaut. I've been trying to understand Gordo's title. It seems to me that this is what Cooper took in writing this book, knowing that his accounts of UFOs and ETs would probably be scoffed at by much of the scientific community. Trouble is, much of his argument is objective and convincing. But the book loses its edge when it stops describing science, and delves into the unexplained without trying to explain it, while reading like a dime-store novel. I'd like to see a sequel in which we hear more from Cooper the scientist, and not some ghostwriter.
Rating:
Summary: Two books in one
Review: Gordon Cooper's book is actually two books in one--one very good, and one very bad. The first is an exciting document about his life as an astronaut. The second, apparently written mostly by contributor Bruce Henderson, concerns his experience with extraterrestrial aliens and the hunt for new energy sources. In the first book, Cooper recounts his 22-orbit flight aboard his Mercury capsule, Faith 7. It was fascinating reading as he described how, near the end of his flight, the capsule malfunctioned, and the only things left working were his radio and the manual controls. That he made it back to earth safely is a testament to the fighter-pilot can-do nature. Cooper also reveals the internal politics that went on in choosing the flight crews, including why he never got to go to the moon. This all makes for great reading. Cooper also discusses his belief in UFOs, and tells of his own sightings and top-secret UFO photos, and describes scientifically why a saucer is the ideal shape for an advanced style of aircraft. It's all believable, compelling and wonderful. But then Cooper begins his post-NASA life, and meets a mysterious woman named Valerie Ransone. This is where the book begins to fall apart. Ransone claims to have telepathic contact with extraterrestrial aliens, and Cooper believes her. She is able to bend spoons, a lá Uri Geller, which Cooper witnesses. She wants to form a partnership with Cooper to develop new sources of infinite energy, aided by their alien friends. In the end, the company fails, and Ransone fades from Cooper's life. I have to admit, as far fetched as this sounds, I found myself giving Cooper the benefit of the doubt. I respect the opinions of a man with advanced degrees in science, as well as space experience. After all, it is the scientist's job to ask "Why?" in an objective manner. But this is why the second half of the book fails miserably. We never hear Cooper ask "Why?" He claims that Ransone's spoon bending was not a parlor trick, but how can he be so sure? Uri Geller was revealed as a fraud. If I were a scientist and had people bending spoons in front of me, I would have immediately marched them into a scientifically controlled experiment. But Cooper did no such thing. At one point, Ransone invites Cooper to go on a genuine flying saucer ride with her alien friends. But at the last minute, the trip is cancelled. BUT OF COURSE. This is always the way these meet-the-aliens stories happen. A big build-up, and then nothing. The main reason this part of the book is so bad is the narrative voice. Bruce Henderson writes it as if it were a work of fiction, as a melodramatic narrative of Gordo and Valerie's struggles together. And though the objective of their business, Advanced Technology Group, sounds impressive, we never get more than a gloss concerning what they actually did. In the end, Ransone comes off sounding like a nut. And Cooper sounds like he was used. A number of reviewers have mentioned Leap of Faith's scientific inaccuracies and incorrect facts. The most glaring for me was the mention of the "Saturn VIII," an eight-engine rocket described as the "most powerful rocket ever built by man." But no rocket ever existed. The most powerful rocket ever built was the Saturn V, which had five engines in its first stage. A "Saturn VIII" was never even conceived of or designed, much less built. It's hard to imagine how such an error could have made it into a book written by an astronaut. I've been trying to understand Gordo's title. It seems to me that this is what Cooper took in writing this book, knowing that his accounts of UFOs and ETs would probably be scoffed at by much of the scientific community. Trouble is, much of his argument is objective and convincing. But the book loses its edge when it stops describing science, and delves into the unexplained without trying to explain it, while reading like a dime-store novel. I'd like to see a sequel in which we hear more from Cooper the scientist, and not some ghostwriter.
Rating: 
Summary: Even if you're not a space fanatic, this is riveting reading
Review: I had heard from a friend that Gordon Cooper had written a book and had mentioned in it that he had seen UFOs. I found that interesting because Colonel Cooper certainly doesn't fit the profile for being a nutcase. I was waiting for someone in the bookstore the other day and picked up this book to read while waiting. My friend was delayed, and I was glad. I read 200 pages of this book without getting up. It truly is riveting and engaging. The first-hand account of Cooper's Mercury mission is written with clarity of memory like it happened yesterday. The things which Cooper chooses to talk about are also fascinating. There was not one boring page in this book! Colonel Cooper's sensible account of the UFOs which he saw in the 1950s while stationed in Germany has made me rethink the possibility of their existence. Even the comments which he has about all of the other famous people of the time that he knew, from astronauts to presidents, are revealing but at the same time in good taste. If anyone thinks we are lacking heroes today, or if he or she thinks that our heroes are hitting or catching balls, that person should read this book. Cooper's telling of the way it was in those Mercury capsules, subjected to a regular temperature exceeding 100 degrees with G-forces great enough to make his watch stop working accurately, and having to manually re-enter the atmosphere when his entire electronics package shutdown, all to wind up landing within four miles of the aircraft carrier makes one realize that true American heroes are alive and well today. I hope that the remaining four of these seven men will have many more opportunities to be appreciated verbally by a nation that will forever be indebted to them for their bravery and willingness to risk their own lives to teach men to dream.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but a little flawed
Review: I've been a fan of Gordo Cooper since he visited my town of Pennsburg 25 years ago. As a result, I was really excited when he decided to write a book. Gordo writes an interesting tale that is worth reading. Are his stories that spins about UFO's and people in contact with aliens true? I'm just a little sceptical but it does make for interesting reading. As for his tales of his Mercury and Gemini missions...I wish he would have given more detail and also double-checked his memories with other astronauts and NASA folk. Inaccuracies such as on page 159, "...the awesome Saturn V, sported eight engines..." is just plain wrong. (FYI: the 1st and 2nd stage had 5 engines each and the 3rd had 1.) On page 165 Gordo claims that on the day of the Apollo 1 fire, "...Gene Kranz had considered being in the spacecraft to try to figure out a recurring problem with one of the systems." Well, unless every other book I've read so far has got it wrong, that person was actually Chris Kraft. On another note, I really did enjoy what little he provided into the life and antics of Pete Conrad. Unfortunately we'll never get to read Pete's autobiography since he died in a motorcycle accident in 1999.
Rating:
Summary: A Hero's Significant Life written with Integrity
Review: Just finished reading Gordon Cooper's "Leap of Faith" which I finished in two "sittings"... As a woman who remembers back in the 50's and 60's being in a man's world, I found this book (even with a lot of technology in it) remarkably understandable, interesting, exciting, and profound. Cooper's "straight-arrow" approach to his love of his calling in life, along with open-mindedness and vision, captured my imagination and came as close to feeling "I know this person" more than in most non-fiction books. His story was mixed with human interest, military protocol, politics, courage, intelligence, along with love and respect for his teammates, as well as frustration with self-serving brass, kept my interest in high gear all the way. I learned behind the scenes information, some historical, that was not dipicted in the movie, "The Right Stuff". Towards the end, some of his adventures seemed somewhat surreal, but because of who this person is, I found myself weighing what was and what was not and came to the conclusion it was told with veracity, if not somewhat disappointing. Disappointed not of his writing, but the end result of one of the projects he was involved in and the failure of it due to lack of support from our military and private sector. I don't think anyone reading this book will come away disappointed. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: One too many trips around the Earth
Review: The first part of this book is interesting. The whole Mercury program, the behind the scenes politicing, the trips into space. And then the book gets weird. It is always interesting when public figures give UFO accounts but it would have been nice to have some backup documentation rather than vague acusations about area-51 and the government hiding things. This government doesn't seem to be able to hide two people making out in an office nevermind capturing space aliens, transporting their ship somewhere, figuring out how it works etc etc. If two people can't keep a secret can the 100's that would have had to be involved in such a coverup keep a secret? Come on folks, this guy appears to have had one too many trips around the planet. Anyway its light summer reading and like I said, the first part of the book is fine.
Rating: 
Summary: Makes unbelievable claims about space aliens and NASA
Review: There is an old saying that you should keep an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out. Cooper's brains clearly fell out a long time ago. In this book he comes off as a paranoid nut, not a hero. Everything bad that ever happened to him, such as his being passed over for an Apollo mission, was someone else's fault. It is not really heroic to blame other people for your problems. Considering how screwy Cooper later became, with his talk about space aliens, one wonders if he was passed over because astronaut chief Deke Slayton felt he was unstable. If you want to know the real story of what happened to Gordo Cooper back in the early days of Mercury, you will not get it from Gordo Cooper, unfortunately. There are other, better books that tell this story. There is too much goofiness and too many errors here to mention in a review. But two parts in particular stand out: On pages 227-232, Cooper recounts how extraterrestrials contacted a female friend of his and told her that there was a problem with the space shuttle. He notified NASA and saved the shuttle from destruction. On pages 254-259, he tells how he was offered a trip on a flying saucer. He packed his bags and prepared to journey to the desert for his flight. But the flight was canceled when the aliens had a political squabble on their home planet. (I am NOT making this up.) Even if you are only interested in the NASA stuff and ignore the parts dealing with UFOs, there are also tons of simple factual errors throughout the book. It is filled with stories about NASA missions that are just not true. For instance, noted space author Jim Oberg investigated Cooper's claim that photos that Cooper took on his Gemini mission showed the supersecret Area 51. Oberg looked at the orbital track for the mission and saw that the flight never got near the base. He also found the photos in NASA's archive and they did not show any supersecret base. If Jim Oberg could look up these photos, how come Cooper and his co-writer could not? This book should do a great deal to destroy the myth that surrounds astronauts. Rather than super-beings, they can be just as crazy as anybody. And just because someone says that they remembered something happened does not mean that it actually happened.
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