When I first saw this book, I was very excited. I am always looking for new perspectives on the early space program, and this sounded perfect. I'd never heard of Darrell Loan before, so I was eager to read his story. I expected this to be in the same vein as Günter F. Wendt's biography, or perhaps Chris Kraft's book.

But this book. . . My God, this book. . .

If I listed every technological and historical error in this book, this review would be pages long. Some of the "facts" the author presents are so inaccurate it makes my head hurt. I hope to God that someone doesn't read this book and actually believe everything the author says. Basic fact checking would have eliminated a great number of these errors. I feel it is an unforgivable sin for a writer to botch facts when there are tons of resources out there with the correct information.

I feel the author's writing style actually took away from the story of Mr. Loan. In the author's effort to tell an exciting and adventurous tale, he lost track of Mr. Loan's story. The whole book feels inauthentic.

I have no doubt that Mr. Loan's actual story is fascinating, but this book is a poor way to share his story with the world. ( )

Surrounded by Thunder: The Story of Darrell Loan and the Rocketmen isn't another survey of astronauts who participated in space programs, but focuses on the rocket scientists who actually helped make these journeys happen. So while it's a recommendation for any collection strong in space science or history; don't expect another 'I was an astronaut' saga here (that's already been overdone): Surrounded by Thunder offers so much more.

Under a different hand, Surrounded by Thunder could have proved overly technical, focusing on the science behind space program history, which also has been done before. But this seeks to capture the atmosphere of the space program in general and Darrell Loan's life and contributions in particular: as such, it's a gathering of vivid insider stories, details about space program engineering history and challenges, and behind-the-scenes stories such as how the Mercury Seven were chosen for their mission. The author conducted extensive interviews with these pioneering scientists to document NASA'S heady, early days; but his provides these details in an unusually lively format accessible to a wide audience.

Each chapter reads with the immediacy and vivid description of fiction, yet packs in a blend of 'you are there' reports from newspapers with interview results and fun truths about snafus and unexpected long-range successes.

While Darrell Loan is the rocket man given specific consideration here, coverage includes a range of events involving a team of rocket men over the history of the world's space programs, placing all of them in proper historical and scientific perspective.

So don't look for the usual story of 'how I became an astronaut' or 'what it was like to walk on the moon.' DO look for a behind-the-scenes exposé narrated in an unusually lively style that succeeds in injecting humor and human insights into its blend of history and biographical profiles.

Surrounded by Thunder recently won the coveted gold medal for non-fiction in the 2013 Florida Book Awards: this is a good indicator of its award-winning contents! ( )