Photographing America's First Astronauts

"Bill's iconic images will live on forever. He and his camera acted as the eyes for all of us who couldn't be there. Bill captured the spirit and emotion of NASA's pioneering years through his images of astronaut training, launches, landings, and postflight celebrations. At every Apollo anniversary I photographed, the astronauts would embrace Bill as though he were part of the crew. I will always look to Bill and his work as the ultimate examples of what it means to be a storyteller for NASA, and I'm honored to have known him." —Bill Ingalls, senior contract photographer, NASA Headquarters

"When I was selected for the second astronaut class, the Mercury missions were still underway. Bill Taub had already become a familiar presence, and he became well-known to all of us throughout the later Gemini and Apollo flights. These newly published photos showcase Bill's great skill in capturing the historic efforts of all the men and women who were instrumental in getting us safely into space and back down." —Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford (USAF, Ret.), Gemini VI, Gemini IX, Apollo 10, Apollo-Soyuz

"Bill was the ultimate photographer. He was a sight to behold with cameras hanging from his neck and arms. I still don't know how he did it. The astronauts trusted him to do the right thing and to take the right photo. Bill was such a nice guy, well-liked by all of us who knew him. He never intruded on the astronauts' privacy." —Dee O'Hara, nurse to the Project Mercury astronauts

"Photographing America's First Astronauts: Project Mercury Through the Lens of Bill Taub hits home in ways that are unexpectedly poignant. It shows the U.S. at its gleaming best—a nation imbued with a spirit of adventure at a time when our leadership was eager to win." —Forbes

"Photographing America's First Astronauts is another stunning success in a series of works that will undoubtedly be found on the bookshelf of everyone who loves the golden age of spaceflight." —Balloons to Drones

"The sheer volume of photos and their detailed captions means this book gives an insight into the daily lives of the people of Project Mercury probably never seen since those eventful days." —SpaceFlight