First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong

First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong is the official biography of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon. It was written by James R. Hansen and published in 2005 by Simon & Schuster.

Development

James Hansen is a professor of history at Auburn University in Alabama.^[1] The writing process began in October 1999 when Hansen had first written to Armstrong asking if he could write the book. At first Armstrong told him that he was too busy and had already turned down several previous offers from authors such as Stephen Ambrose and James A. Michener. Hansen persisted, sending what he described as a "goody box" of his books, including a biography called From the Ground Up about aircraft designer Fred Weick. Armstrong was impressed with the style of the book and in June 2002, Armstrong and Hansen signed a formal agreement. Two months later, Armstrong signed a letter for Hansen that said Hansen had his full support and encouraged others to provide what he needed to write a book.

Reception

An outstanding success...Immaculately researched and packed with detail, but written in a way that will appeal to readers of all kinds — Sir Patrick Moore

Film adaptation

In 2003, Clint Eastwood and Warner Brothers bought the film rights to First Man.^[2] No production date was announced and the film has still not been made.

Universal Pictures plan to make a film of the book, provisionally called First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong.^[3]

References

External links

• The First Man on the Moon: Why Neil Armstrong? presentation by James R. Hansen (video, 88m19s)
• book on Amazon.com