The names of the seven Mercury astronauts were announced in April 1959
amid a flurry of publicity and patriotism. This work provides
biographical details of all thirty-two finalists for the seven coveted
places as America's pioneering astronauts. All of the candidates were
among the nation's elite pilots involved in testing new supersonic
aircraft capabilities. Most had served as wartime fighter and bomber
pilots; some were test pilots on top secret and sophisticated aviation
projects, while others were fleet admirals, prisoners of war, and
proposed pilots for spaceflight programs such as the Dyna-Soar (X-20).
The names of all 32 finalists have been kept secret until very recently.
"Selecting the Mercury Seven" also relates the history and difficulties
behind the initial choice of candidates. The lives, motivations,
military careers, and achievements of the unsuccessful twenty-five
finalists are explored first in fully authorized biographies. Test
pilots for the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, each man has a
fascinating and very different story to tell. All thirty-two men had to
endure meticulous, demeaning, and brutal week-long medical examinations
at the Lovelace Clinic in New Mexico. This was followed by another
torturous week at the Wright Aeromedical Laboratory in Ohio, where they
were subjected to extreme fitness and physiological testing, the sole
purpose of which was to sort out the Supermen from the near-supermen.
The final part of the book examines the accomplishments and spaceflights
of the seven successful candidates, bringing their amazing stories right
up to date.
