DOC Healing Cultures: Art and Religion as Curative Practices in the Caribbean and its Diaspora by NA NA in History

Description

Growing up on either side of the Iron Curtain; David Scott and Alexei Leonov experienced very different childhoods but shared the same dream to fly. Excelling in every area of mental and physical agility; Scott and Leonov became elite fighter pilots and were chosen by their countries' burgeoning space programs to take part in the greatest technological race ever-to land a man on the moon. In this unique dual autobiography; astronaut Scott and cosmonaut Leonov recount their exceptional lives and careers spent on the cutting edge of science and space exploration. With each mission fraught with perilous risks; and each space program touched by tragedy; these parallel tales of adventure and heroism read like a modern-day thriller. Cutting fast between their differing recollections; this book reveals; in a very personal way; the drama of one of the most ambitious contests ever embarked on by man; set against the conflict that once held the world in suspense: the clash between Russian communism and Western democracy.Before training to be the USSR's first man on the moon; Leonov became the first man to walk in space. It was a feat that won him a place in history but almost cost him his life. A year later; in 1966; Gemini 8; with David Scott and Neil Armstrong aboard; tumbled out of control across space. Surviving against dramatic odds-a split-second decision by pilot Armstrong saved their lives-they both went on to fly their own lunar missions: Armstrong to command Apollo 11 and become the first man to walk on the moon; and Scott to perform an EVA during the Apollo 9 mission and command the most complex expedition in the history of exploration; Apollo 15. Spending three days on the moon; Scott became the seventh man to walk on its breathtaking surface. Marking a new age of USA/USSR cooperation; the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project brought Scott and Leonov together; finally ending the Cold War silence and building a friendship that would last for decades. Their courage; passion for exploration; and determination to push themselves to the limit emerge in these memoirs not only through their triumphs but also through their perseverance in times of extraordinary difficulty and danger.