I did give up on this book for a while as it didn’t really fit in with what I wanted to read about - I’d actually been looking for works on the technology of spaceflight so switched to “Digital Apollo” instead.
I did eventually return and I’m glad that I did as this is a moving and important book. It is very much a people story rather than a technology story (for the latter the “Columbia Accident Investigation Board” report which this book lead me on to is an excellent, clear and well written account of the technical and organisational background to the accident).
“Bringing Columbia Home” is exactly what it describes - the process of recovering the spaceship from the hundreds of square miles of Texas and Louisiana. It gave fascinating insights into the hearts and minds of the NASA personnel intimately involved with the Space Shuttle program and the ordinary people who were affected by, and helped with the recovery of the Columbia debris.
For a lot of the chapters I was reading with tear filled eyes for all sorts of reasons. For the genuine tragedy that could have been prevented, for the real hardships suffered by all the thousands of searchers, and for the human moments of friendship and kindness that came across.
On a more cerebral level it has also an interesting discussion of just how such a colossal activity could be organised and managed and does show the depth of expertise and resources that a large, rich country can bring to bear should the need arise.
A worthy addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the history of space flight.