On the New York Times best-seller list, “Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight” made its public literary landing shortly before the 45th anniversary of the July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 moonwalk by astronauts Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
The third astronaut, Michael Collins, was stationed in the Columbia command module orbiting the moon.
Written by Jay Barbree, NBC news space correspondent, the book has received glowing reviews and words of praise, perhaps none more flattering than from 85-year-old Bob Button of Reading, who said, “When I read the manuscript, I felt like I was in a time machine, reliving all that stuff.”
Button, who retired to Berks County with his wife, Regina, was a public affairs officer for NASA at the former Houston Manned Spacecraft Center from 1961 to 1971. He served as Armstrong’s press liaison and remains a close friend of Barbree.
“Jay was an old redneck buddy for over 50 years,” said the gregarious Button, a pilot and former newspaperman who was tapped by Barbree to do some tough editing on the 362-page book’s final manuscript.