The Ultimate Engineer: The Remarkable Life of NASA's Visionary Leader George M. Low (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight)

With the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 in July 2019, this year has brought a flood of books, television programs, and movies about NASA’ quest to get humans to the surface of the moon. While it’s great that the general public has a rekindled fascination with Apollo, most of the new material is simply re-hashed versions of what those of us who are interested in the early space program already know.Enter The Ultimate Engineer into the mix. Jurek has dug in deep to study the life and work of George M. Low, the chief of manned spaceflight at NASA. He got dusty with Low’s archives. He spoke with dozens of Low’s colleagues. And he learned backstory from Low’s family.That Low is so unknown (until now) makes his story fascinating. Unknown to most that is. The astronauts all knew and respected him. For example, “First Man” Neil Armstrong says of Low: “He was my favorite engineer.”Perhaps Low was so well liked at NASA because he was a risk taker, a theme that Jurek tackles, writing aspects of The Ultimate Engineer like a thriller which kept me engaged.My favorite part of the book is learning about the background of the Apollo 8 lunar circumnavigation mission. I’ve always thought this was the most audacious single thing NASA has done, bumping up the mission to send humans to orbit the moon before the original plan. Jurek recounts the events leading up to this momentous decision and shares all the fascinating details about how it went down.The Apollo program involved 400,000 people, all dedicated to sending humans to the moon and returning them safely to earth. Perhaps the most critical person in the ultimate success of the Apollo project, even more important than Neil Armstrong and Wernher von Braun, was George M. Low. That his story is now so expertly told makes this book a valuable and important addition to NASA history.

When the public thinks of the Apollo Moonlandings they remember astronauts such as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and perhaps a few of the flight directors like Chris Kraft and Gene Kranz. But there were a number of unsung heroes who do not have the recognition and gratitude that they deserve. At the top of the list is George Low, the brilliant Austrian-born engineer who played a vital role in the U.S. space program in the 1960s and 1970s. At various times he was NASA’s head of manned spaceflight, deputy director of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager, NASA Deputy Administrator and for 9 months Acting NASA Administrator. He was NASA’s “go to guy” in many situations, most notably in leading NASA’s recovery from the January, 1967 Apollo 1 fire. He also was instrumental in sending the first crewed Saturn V flight to orbit the Moon (Apollo 8), in saving the space shuttle program from cancellation by the Nixon Administration, and in negotiating cooperation with the Russians in space (ASTP mission. A major gap in biographies of space pioneers has been the lack of a full-scale biography of Low. Now Richard Jurek, co-author of “Marketing the Moon,” has admirably filled that gap with his new book “The Ultimate Engineer: The Remarkable Life of NASA’s Visionary Leader George M. Low.” (University of Nebraska Press) Richard spent months pouring over Low’s archives at NASA and RPI, where Low attended college and later became its President before his death in July, 1984 of cancer at the young age of 59. Richard also had the cooperation of Low’s family. The book is meticulously researched and will likely be the definitive biography of George Low. It is well written, although some important points like Low’s attention to detail are repeated frequently. There are 26 pages of valuable photographs covering most of Low’s life. The book is indexed and all source are listed. Many books have been published this year about space, but “The Ultimate Engineer” is one of the best. Its subject, George Low, is one of the unsung pioneers of space exploration. It is about time that he is profiled in a full-length biography, and Richard Jurek has done an outstanding job. Highly recommended!

After reading this book I felt like I really knew George Low. So well written! Richard Jurek does a masterful job of describing the amazing life of one of NASA’s truly unsung heroes of the Apollo program. Unlike many biographies, the Ultimate Engineer is not a tome and every page is worth the read. Jurek provides a wonderful description of a man who truly did so much to advance our nation’s space program. And Low did it with such amazing humility, skill and perseverance. A fascinating read about one of the most important contributors to our space program written in a descriptive and easy to read style. I could not put it down!

Richard has done a wonderful job of researching the life and career of this unassuming but vital member of the team who put a man on the Moon.Most know George Low because of the role he played in NASA sending Apollo 8 on the first ever crewed Lunar orbit flight. In researching Low's personal papers Richard has shed new light on the vital role Low had in shaping American space policy for more than a decade.There have been many new books released because of the 50th annivesaries of the Moon landings that claim to shed new light on the program. Few do!This publication would be a wonderful addition to any Spaceflight Library and really does bring new insight into what is one of the most documented stories in history.Gavin Price, United Kingdom

Bought this for my husband a retired engineer. He doesn't read very often, but is finding this book fascinating. A compliment indeed! A remarkable man and a remarkable achievement.

I've read lots of books on Apollo era - and the name of George Low keeps on cropping out. I was very excited to find out about this biography and I have to say that I was not disappointed in the slightest. It is a fantastic read - superbly written and researched. I cannot recommend this book enough.