I had no idea that Gary Paulsen, of Hatchet fame, was a missileer! I'm not sure if this book is truly non-fiction, but it is a fascinating read for those interested in the very early days of rocket and missile testing.

The book is composed of short stories that take place on various testing ranges out west. I wished the book had more details on the ranges, and what it was like in those days. The author focuses more on the people and events. A couple of the stories really stand out here: the tale of The Ripper and the Go-Never mascot.

I loved the story of The Ripper. I almost feel like lemon peels should be like the JPL peanuts of missile testing. The story of Go-Never is really interesting. It sounds exactly like a Roomba.

Fun stories aside, most of his comments about women seem pretty sexist. I didn't appreciate that, even though it seems to be a pretty accurate representation of men's attitudes towards women during that time.

Still, a worthwhile read for anyone interested in this era of aerospace history. ( )