By Forris Day JR
The memoir “Surrounded by Thunder – The Story of Darrell Loan” is more than the life story of just one man but rather the tale of a nation. Darrell Loan is a retired NASA (National Aeronautical and Space Administration) employee. Loan’s career with NASA spanned many decades but this book focuses mostly on a 12 or so year period. That period begins when the Russians launched fear into America’s hearts with a 23 inch shiny metal sphere. That silver ball with its four external radio antennas is known as “Sputnik”. “Sputnik” was the first artificial satellite put into Earth orbit. Although all it was physically capable of doing was emitting a steady radio frequency beep, it did far more emotional damage to Americans. The Space Age had begun and Americans were afraid because we were not in the game. Yet.
“Sputnik” triggered the “Space Race” on that October Day in 1957. The United States reacted by creating a space program that hired only the smartest and most innovative people it could find and Darrell Loan fit the bill perfectly. He had drive, knowledge and plenty of curiosity. Darrell joined the fledgling NASA around the time that President John F. Kennedy announced that we would put a man on the moon by the end of the century. The United States met their self imposed challenge and Darrell Loan was a big part of it.
“Surrounded by Thunder” is extremely well written by Tom Williams. Williams was able to capture Loan’s stories and create a narrative book that not only documents Darrell Loan’s career but also represents a huge part of American history in extreme detail and clarity without boring the reader to tears. As a matter of fact quite the opposite is true. The book reads like a thriller or suspense novel with mystery and excitement packed on every page. His style of writing is factual with just enough color to make for a fast paced and gripping read. Many readers may not even understand that all of this stuff really happened. The danger, the fear, the disaster. The book covers, via a first hand description, an important and exciting period in our history. In a time where launching satellites is commonplace we tend to forget that many lives were risked, and lost, as humans attempted to reach space.
Tom William’s “Surrounded by Thunder” should be added to the must read lists of any history buff. It will certainly satisfy the appetite of people who hunger for knowledge of how we, as Americans and a human race, got to where we are with technology today. Remember, most of what we use everyday is a direct result of NASA engineering (Think cell phones and GPS technology to name just a couple) which may have never come into existence if not for a metal orb the size of a beach-ball. Tom William’s has done a great thing in capturing Darrell Loan’s story. I feel the book will be used for decades as a reference to what the 1960’s meant to our nation and our quest to rule space.
Purchase “Surrounded by Thunder – The Story of Darrell Loan”
