Into the Sky with Diamonds

One small step for a man. One giant leap for rock ‘n roll.

NASA’s race with the Russians to land a man on the moon. The meteoric rise of the Beatles, considered by many to have revolutionized the music industry. In the postwar era, each stood as an unprecedented cultural watershed. Together they captured the heady zeitgeist of the 1960s, and ignited the imagination of – just about everyone on the planet. Into the Sky with Diamonds is an exhilarating account of these two global phenomena, as seen through the eyes of Dutch Richtman, a young, enterprising NASA engineer who manages to snag a front row seat to both. Dutch’s memoir takes us on the turbulent ride of breathtaking successes and harrowing failures that marked the early years of space travel – beginning with Projects Mercury and Gemini leading up to the Apollo program. We discover the thrills and sacrifices, personalities and politics involved in navigating these early space missions. And through Dutch’s fictional correspondence with buddy Mal Evans (a character true to the Beatles’ real-life roadie of the same name), we are introduced to a rock band of four working class lads from Liverpool who just happen to turn the music industry on its head and become the unwitting leaders of a youth movement for change. We witness it all: the band’s electrifying rise, their unforgettable debut on the Ed Sullivan show, the social, political, and religious controversies they generated, and their painful dissolution, as John’s fierce attachment to Yoko Ono forever alters the trajectory of the “Fab Four.”

Author Biography

Dr. Ron Grelsamer is a noted expert on all things ’60s.

His extensive knowledge of the Beatles, Space, and the decade that shook the world is the basis of his latest book, “Into The Sky With Diamonds.” He is a frequent lecturer at some of the world’s most prestigious universities on the cultural and scientific ramifications of the ’60s, as well as being one of the premiere collectors of Beatles and Space memorabilia. When not writing or lecturing on the world’s most turbulent decade, he is recognized as one of America’s leading orthopedic surgeons and practices at the world-renowned Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City.