Books: I Have Left the World

THE LONELY SKY (316 pp.)—William Bridgeman and Jacqueline Hazard—Holt ($3.95).

Test Pilot William Barton Bridgeman, 38, is the first flyer to write a book telling how it feels to ride a rocket aimed at space and fight the sky at 1,200 miles an hour. In his autobiography Pilot Bridgeman (TIME, April 27, 1953) describes a three-year skirmish in the U.S. campaign against the unknowns of speed and space as a personal battle. The result: one of the year's most fascinating adventure stories.

The rocket ship which Bridgeman jockeyed to speed and altitude records (79,494...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!