The Challenger explosion is one of our country’s defining moments. It was so shocking that when the topic is brought up today, people remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the tragic news. If you are interested in knowing more about the Challenger you will want to check out Adam Higginbotham’s book Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space. This book is the winner of the 2024 Kirkus Nonfiction Prize, shortlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, finalist for the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award in nonfiction and a New York Times Notable Book for 2024.

The prologue begins with the Challenger flight and explosion. The first chapter of the book, however, begins in 1967 with Apollo 1. Higginbotham’s story is not about an isolated incident but the journey that led to that tragic outcome. Even though you already know how the story ends, the personal stories, the histories, and the lives of the people involved make it even more compelling.

One of the things about reading an historical book like this is learning the daunting number of people involved and what their involvement was. In the beginning of the book is a cast of characters that tells who’s who and where in this project they were involved. There are also extensive notes in the back as well as an index for finding a person or a topic. The author set up Challenger in a way for the reader to succeed in keeping it all straight.