One of the most elusive and controversial figures in NASA’s history, George W. S. Abbey was called “the Dark Lord,” “the Godfather,” and “UNO” (unidentified NASA official) by those within NASA. From young pilot and wannabe astronaut to engineer, bureaucrat, and finally director of the Johnson Space Center (“mission control”), Abbey’s story has never been fully told—until now. This fascinating account takes readers inside NASA to learn the real story of how Abbey rose to power and wielded it out of the spotlight. Informed by countless hours of interviews with Abbey and his family, friends, adversaries, and former colleagues, The Astronaut Maker is the ultimate insider’s account of ambition and power politics at NASA.

"NASA buffs will be fascinated by this profile of an undervalued figure whose most significant legacy, Cassutt concludes, was at the human level—making ‘spaceflight available to all, regardless of citizenship, gender, color, or ethnic background.’" - Publishers Weekly
 

"The real book about the manned space program would be a book about George Abbey." —Richard Truly, former astronaut and administrator of NASA

Michael Cassutt is the coauthor of Deke!, the autobiography of astronaut Donald K. “Deke” Slayton, and We Have Capture, the autobiography of astronaut Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford and the author of three editions of Who’s Who in Space (1987, 1993, 1999) as well as five space-themed novels and 30 short stories published in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction and elsewhere. He has contributed numerous articles to Air & Space/Smithsonian and other publications and has appeared as a space history expert in documentaries for the History Channel. As a television writer and producer, Cassutt has been a member of the writing team of a dozen different series, from Twilight Zone to Max Headroom to The Dead Zone. He is currently co-executive producer of SyFy Channel’s series Z Nation and is developing a drama titled Captain Cosmos with George R. R. Martin, of Game of Thrones. He lives in Los Angeles.