Description
First edition, first printing of The Right Stuff, signed by the author, Tom Wolfe.
Octavo, [10], 436pp. Gray cloth, title stamped in blue on spine, signature stamped in silver on front board. Stated “first printing, 1979” on copyright page. Solid text block, some light soiling along top, a touch of wear to the spine, vibrant blue endpapers, a near fine example. In publisher’s dust jacket, $12.95 retail price on front flap, light shelf wear, full portrait of author on back panel, a near fine example.
This copy is signed on the second free endpaper by the author.
In The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe describes the skills necessary for astronauts to participate in space exploration. He researched and interviewed multiple sources to write this piece, focusing on postwar work on rockets and the astronauts chosen for the inaugural Project Mercury at NASA. The piece was adapted for a movie in 1983, starring actors Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn and Dennis Quaid, and won four Academy Awards. The Right Stuff is still relevant today through an original television series on Disney+.
