"By [the author's] own admission in a note to the reader, she has had more of a developmental editor role than author, although that does not undermine by any means the importance and magnitude of what she has had to do in order to bring Space Pioneers: In Their Own Words to the public. Quite the opposite, in fact." See the new review (May 2019) at the Military Writers Society of America's website.
"Space Pioneers: In Their Own Words is relatively unique in its primary focus on minor players in space exploration history, which provides insight into the day-to-day challenges of research and development that tend to get lost in the bigger picture.... Although the author edited and corrected the accounts with a 'gentle but firm hand,' they still retain the spirit and memories of those interviewed; their voices are clearly heard. German scientist Cynthia Sommers-Guzevich summed it up nicely: 'White Sands is old history. People don't know what we did out there.' Thanks to Loretta Hall, now they do." Lisa Westwood in Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly.
"Space Pioneers: In Their Own Words is a unique compendium of 90 oral histories of 140 compiled by the NM Museum of Space History. The histories selected span the decades from the end of World War II through the space shuttle era. Ms. Hall provides a brief introductionto the 600-page book, and introductions to 14 of the 18 chapters and to each oral history. Numerous photographs are provided, many of which readers may not have seen before. Her writing is clear and concise. Ms. Hall has done masterful work in selecting, editing, and organizing testimonies of people engaged in all facets of space research and exploration, who came from all walks of life and made contributions large and small, e.g., astronauts, balloonists, mission-control personnel, crafts people, scientists, and technicians. Great drama resides in their stories. Also notable are the details of projects and participant experiences that give the book its originality." A judge in the New Mexico Press Women's Communications Contest
"This book takes the reader behind the scenes, telling stories that reveal the humanity of people we tend to see as "heroes." Whether you know the pioneers' names or not, reading their stories, in their own words, will be informative, enlightening, and entertaining." New Mexico Press Women's newsletter
"This is a unique book in that it covers a broad spectrum of personal remembrances as derived from the private interview collection of the New Mexico Museum of Space History. While many of the persons included (about 90) represent those who have had some connection with New Mexico, the pioneers quoted are from a diverse spectrum that includes a former Soviet cosmonaut.... There are a lot of diverse and interesting people and topics to keep you involved in the book." National Space Society, Featured Nonfiction Book Review [See the full review.]
"Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Space Pioneers In Their Own Words is an anthology of firsthand testimonies from ninety space pioneers, who describe their work in space research and exploration from the 1940s up to the modern space shuttle program. Included are extensive sections of the New Mexico Museum of Space History and International Space Hall of Fame's oral history collections (annotated to shed light on historical context), and a handful of historical black-and-white photographs. Space Pioneers In Their Own Words will prove fascinating to anyone intrigued by this far-reaching field of research." A "Reviewer's Choice" in Small Press Bookwatch [See the full review.]
"By [the author's] own admission in a note to the reader, she has had more of a developmental editor role than author, although that does not undermine by any means the importance and magnitude of what she has had to do in order to bring Space Pioneers: In Their Own Words to the public. Quite the opposite, in fact." See the new review (May 2019) at the Military Writers Society of America's website.
"Space Pioneers: In Their Own Words is relatively unique in its primary focus on minor players in space exploration history, which provides insight into the day-to-day challenges of research and development that tend to get lost in the bigger picture.... Although the author edited and corrected the accounts with a 'gentle but firm hand,' they still retain the spirit and memories of those interviewed; their voices are clearly heard. German scientist Cynthia Sommers-Guzevich summed it up nicely: 'White Sands is old history. People don't know what we did out there.' Thanks to Loretta Hall, now they do." Lisa Westwood in a book review published in
Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly (Volume 22, No. 2, September 2015). Quest is the only peer-reviewed publication solely dedicated to the history of spaceflight.
"Space Pioneers: In Their Own Words is a unique compendium of 90 oral histories of 140 compiled by the NM Museum of Space History. The histories selected span the decades from the end of World War II through the space shuttle era. Ms. Hall provides a brief introductionto the 600-page book, and introductions to 14 of the 18 chapters and to each oral history. Numerous photographs are provided, many of which readers may not have seen before. Her writing is clear and concise. Ms. Hall has done masterful work in selecting, editing, and organizing testimonies of people engaged in all facets of space research and exploration, who came from all walks of life and made contributions large and small, e.g., astronauts, balloonists, mission-control personnel, crafts people, scientists, and technicians. Great drama resides in their stories. Also notable are the details of projects and participant experiences that give the book its originality." A judge in the New Mexico Press Women's Communications Contest, April 2015
"This book takes the reader behind the scenes, telling stories that reveal the humanity of people we tend to see as "heroes." Whether you know the pioneers' names or not, reading their stories, in their own words, will
be informative, enlightening, and entertaining." New Mexico Press Women's Broadsheet newsletter, August 2014
"This is a unique book in that it covers a broad spectrum of personal remembrances as derived from the private interview collection of the New Mexico Museum of Space History. While many of the persons included (about 90) represent those who have had some connection with New Mexico, the pioneers quoted are from a diverse spectrum that includes a former Soviet cosmonaut.... There are a lot of diverse and interesting people and topics to keep you involved in the book." National Space Society, Featured Nonfiction Book Review, October 2014 [See the full review at the National Space Society page.]
"Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Space Pioneers In Their Own Words is an anthology of firsthand testimonies from ninety space pioneers, who describe their work in space research and exploration from the 1940s up to the modern space shuttle program. Included are extensive sections of the New Mexico Museum of Space History and International Space Hall of Fame's oral history collections (annotated to shed light on historical context), and a handful of historical black-and-white photographs. Space Pioneers In Their Own Words will prove fascinating to anyone intrigued by this far-reaching field of research." A "Reviewer's Choice" in Small Press Bookwatch, October 2014 [See the full review at the Midwest Book Review page.]