Hornet Plus Three: The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery

Bob Fish
Beagle Bay (2009)
ISBN 9780974961071
Reviewed by Robert Watson for Reader Views (8/09)


We all know of the flight to the moon but Bob Fish has created a detailed documentation with his new book “Hornet Plus Three.”  Fish has been the Apollo curator for the USS Hornet Museum since 2000 and produced the one-of-a-kind spacecraft recovery exhibit.

For everyone proud to be an American, this is a must read or better still, this is a must have as part of your own library.  From the time the idea of the flight was conceived until long after splashdown and the debriefing, it’s all here.  I couldn’t think of one legitimate question that would go unanswered.

Fish brings life to that American Dream declared by our President John F. Kennedy on 25 May, l961 to go to the moon, land and return safely to earth.  The pictures and details of the events in this documentation make us feel like we were there in all the action; the shuttles lift off, the thrust of the rockets, the vibrations, the speed and the awesomeness of space.  Landing on the moon, the moon walk, return to earth and splashdown - you feel like you were there. Bobbing around in the ocean while the Hornet prepares to pick up the crew - we capture it all, history in the making.

Details pop up everywhere, such as why was the Hornet chosen for the recovery operation?  Well, the Hornet is a “four screw” aircraft carrier and the most maneuverable for this mission.  Bob Fish’s “Hornet Plus Three” exemplifies his knowledge and simply brings that historical moment as one of America’s greatest achievement to life and to us.

“Hornet Plus Three: The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery” by Bob Fish is definitely a must read.

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