Shatter The Sky
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5.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Merryl Tengesdal, has become one of the most interesting and compelling maverick women in aviation.
In this inspirational memoir, retired Colonel Merryl Tengesdal shares her Life Lessons on everything from her career in the military, being the first and only black woman to pilot the U2 aircraft, to marriage and motherhood - and everything in between.
This book is a deep reflection on life in the military, with mesmerizing storytelling. Merryl invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood in the Bronx, to her years deployed in the Middle East, South America, and Asia, to her experience on the hit reality show Tough As Nails. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her life as she lived it - in her own words and on her own terms. With wisdom and warmth, Shatter the Sky is the deeply personal story of a woman of substance who has steadily defied expectations - and whose story inspires us to do the same.
Customer Reviews
A motivational memoir
Book Report: “Shatter the Sky” by Merryl Tengesdal. This is the first selection on the 2022 list for the Aviatrix Book Club for January 2022.
This was a very fun read - part memoir, part motivational life lessons. The author, Merryl Tengesdal, started off as a girl from the Bronx and simple means. She was intelligent, inquisitive, and decided early she wanted to be an astronaut. She earned a degree in electrical engineering and a spot in Aviation Officer Candidate School to become a Naval Aviator. She was on her way to her goals. She proceeded to have a fascinating and surprising career. She was determined, scrappy, funny, serious, and driven. Finishing up a storied career she ended up as a Colonel in the Air Force after an inter-service transfer where she became a U2 pilot. While she didn’t make it to space as an astronaut, she was as close as anyone can get in the U2, doing a very interesting job at 70,000’.
Throughout the book, she delivers what she calls “life lessons,” which motivate, encourage, and demonstrate what I take to be her main lesson, which is the same one I often share with young ones: no one will give you anything, so you have to go get it.
She moved on post-retirement to achieve Mrs. SuperMom status, started a new career inspired by Jack LaLanne, and became a TV personality. Check out her story. No matter your background or goals, Merryl will inspire you off the mark.
Merryl would be a hoot to know, but from our shared experiences and this fun book, I feel I already do know her. I recommend her story as an uplifting example of how high we can all reach. We just have to reach.