The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball

by

Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis

The story of the warm and enduring friendship between The First American in Space and his barber, Carlos Villagomez, and a peek behind the scenes of the early days of the space program.

The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball was written by the wife and husband team of Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis, co-owners of the Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Texas, and both the grown children of a NASA engineer and a NASA scientist. Besides revealing the story of the souvenir golf ball, the book is a wonderful recounting of the warm and enduring friendship between Alan Shepard and his barber, a local cultural icon and civic leader, Carlos Villagomez. 

The history is fascinating, and the shared anecdotes wonderfully humanize The First American in Space, Alan Shepard. The book is thoroughly supported by the extensive research – reading and interviews – conducted by the authors, including memories of their and the space program’s formative years. Readers should be sure to read the lengthy Introduction, which explains the authors’ connection to the program through their fathers’ amazing careers. I really enjoyed the human history of the program participants as well as the many facts I’d never heard that were worked into the narration. I also gained new insights, more respect, and even awe for the courage of our astronauts and the innovation (especially when under pressure) of our engineers and scientists at NASA. 

While much has been written about the stars of the Astronaut Program, this work provides a candid view of Shepard both at work and at home, revealing a sentimental and caring side to the man. It is also the story of Carlos Villagomez, and it is fascinating on its own. One of 13 children and a Navy man himself, what he did and accomplished in his life in his hometown of Webster, Texas, was especially noteworthy and inspirational reading. While Shepard was a national hero and an American icon, Villagomez achieved the same status here at home. 

The story was a delightful surprise, and the Acknowledgments and extensive list of Sources at the end of the book provide additional works to check out. I recommend THE BARBER, THE ASTRONAUT, AND THE GOLF BALL to readers of biographies and memoirs, especially those interested in the American space program and real-life heroes. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.