Homer Hickam is the author of many books including the acclaimed
memoir Rocket Boys that was adapted into the film October Sky. His
awards for writing are many and include the University of Alabama’s
Clarence Cason Award and Shepherd University's Appalachian Heritage
Author’s Award. He was raised in the coalfields of West Virginia
and graduated from Virginia Tech. He is also a Vietnam veteran, a
scuba instructor, a retired NASA engineer, an amateur
paleontologist who has discovered numerous dinosaurs, serves on the
boards of the United States Space & Rocket Center (Space Camp) and
the Museum of the Rockies, and was appointed in 2019 as an advisor
to the National Space Council. He also volunteers for feral cat
rescue programs.
Homer and his wife share their time between homes in Alabama and
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"West Virginia's favorite son is also its most beloved
writer, The Rocket Boy's Homer Hickam. In the summer
after he graduated from high school, he realized he had forgotten
to apply to a college. Not to worry, his mother did it for
him...and got him admitted too. Hmm. This boy was obviously
destined for great things. In this memoir Hickam the raconteur
takes us along on his adventures: college, a cannon, the army,
Vietnam, underwater exploration, NASA engineer, and best-selling
writer. It's a helluva journey, a triumph of the spirit. Don't
Blow Yourself Up is destined to become a classic."
*Stephen Coonts, author of "Flight of the Intruder" and "Liberty’s
Last Stand"*
"Just lovely. I cannot recall when I laughed out loud, and wanted
to cry, and held my breath, and just thoroughly enjoyed the true
story of a man's life. Homer Hickam by God lived some things,
across the fields of a war, under the sea, and in the clouds. He
even survived Richard Nixon. Top that."
*Rick Bragg, Professor of Writing, University of Alabama,
Journalism Department*
"If you've read his bestselling memoir Rocket Boys and
think you know Homer Hickam, think again. Not only is Homer a man
for all seasons and the true definition of a Renaissance man, but
he is, without a doubt, one of the great storytellers of our time.
In the pages of Don't Blow Yourself Up, you'll travel the
world with Homer, all the while asking yourself, 'Is there anything
this man can't do?' One thing is for certain—West Virginia's
favorite son sure knows how to write a memoir that will keep you
captivated from the first page to the last."
*Dreama Denver, award-winning author and wife of Gilligan’s Island
star, the late Bob Denver*
"Homer Hickam brings us on a wonderful journey through his truly
extraordinary life. Providing a beautiful account of his dreams,
service, and adventure that led to contributions to the space
program and the literary worlds, Homer takes us from rocket boy to
rocket man to bestselling author. He writes about his experiences
with an engineer's precision and a poet's emotions, not only
sharing the details of the times in which he has lived, but also
the deep inner feelings of his life's successes and disappointments
in a most personal and incredibly honest way. This is way more than
a collection of stories from one man's life, it is an inspirational
guide to how a person with an adventurous spirit and a good heart
can live life to the fullest. Read this book and be inspired to
reach for the stars."
*Mike Massimino, former NASA Astronaut*
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