Walt Cunningham’s archive of publishing material for his classic 1977 book The All-American Boys, an autobiographical account of his experiences as an astronaut during the early years of the U.S. space program. This impressive collection contains several complete early drafts that feature extensive handwritten edits and emendations made by Cunningham and co-author Mickey Herskowitz. Among these is Cunningham’s revised typed first draft, contained in an accordion-style file folder with sleeves dividing the book’s 17 chapters, with several accompanied by related research sheets, notes, or correspondence. The archive also contains five boxes with labels identifying them as “Editor’s Comments Chs. 1 - 11,” “Editor’s Comments Chs. 12-17,” “Old Drafts, Chs. 1-12, 14-17,” “Final Draft, Submitted to Mac,” and “Galleys,” the latter of which contains two galley proofs that were printed by Macmillan Publishing of New York. These drafts and galleys are supplemented by six manilla folders containing miscellaneous chapter revisions, image options, editorial comments, legal department notes, and sundry NASA research guides and publications. In overall fine condition. The consignor notes that this archive was purchased directly from Cunningham in 2006.
In The All-American Boys, Cunningham provides an insider's view of the intense training, the technical challenges, and the personal dynamics he experienced as an early member of NASA’s astronaut corps. With refreshing candor, Cunningham discusses his journey within the competitive Apollo program, from his selection as an astronaut to his role as the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 7, the first manned mission following the tragic Apollo 1 fire.
