Hardcover. 8vo. 473 pp. Signed to the pictorial front free endpage by six of the seven pioneering American astronauts, "To Amy / Best Wishes - / Alan Shepard" "To Amy / with best wishes / Gordon Cooper" "Deke Slayton" "Scott Carpenter" "John Glenn" "Wally Schirra". Original cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated. Jacket design by Paul Bacon. Tears and losses to the dj, significant splitting to front and rear joints, otherwise fine. 

We Seven chronicles the beginnings of American manned space exploration from the perspectives of those who pioneered it, with each member of Project Mercury contributing at least three essay-length sections.

The Mercury Seven astronauts were introduced to the American public in April 1959. The process of choosing the first astronauts was elaborate and rigorous. The seven criteria for selection included the following: less than 40 years old; less than 5 foot 11 inches tall: excellent physical condition; bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent; test-pilot school graduate; minimum of 1500 hours flying time; and qualified jet pilot. Once selected, the astronauts began their training program at Langley. This training included a "little of everything" ranging from a graduate-level course in introductory space science to simulator training and scuba-diving. Training continued until the Langley Space Task Group was transferred to Houston, Texas.