TETHERED MERCURY by Bernice Trimble Steadman is the story of the life and times of Bernice Trimble Steadman, simply called "B" by her students and friends. A flight instructor in the forties, fifties and sixties, she was one of the first women to attain the new, higher standard, Airline Transport Rating and was a leader in building the bridge between the golden age of aviation and space. Her book is more than a personal record. She recreates the span of her adventures using brief time-lines, vignettes and interviews with pilots who were with her on that bridge. Along the way she became: President of The Ninety-Nines (1969-70); appointed an original member of WACOA by President Johnson, co-founder and President of IWASM; the owner and operator of a successful flying service; a winner of transcontinental and international women's air races; co-founder and winner of the Michigan Small Race, and one of the 13 women who passed NASA's rigorous physical for the Mercury astronaut candidates (The Mercury 13).

In Tethered Mercury, B talks candidly about her life as a woman pilot in what was then considered a man's domain. Her story is written in a down-to-earth voice, straight from the heart and conveys a vivid sense of the times with humor, technical accuracy and historical fidelity. She gives personal snapshots of her family and the strong friendships that sustained her in the early days of her business, the dark times of rejection of the Mercury 13 by NASA and her recovery from life-threatening surgery.

B tells it like it is and gives her insights into NASA's and John Glenn's role in blocking a Woman in Space Program. B is a member of the Michigan Chapter of The Ninety-Nines.

Published:	Aviation Press - September 2001
Price:	$29.95 (hard cover). Michigan residents add 6% sales tax Shipping and handling, $5.00 per book
ISBN:	0-9663955-0-6
	Hardcover
This book can be purchased from:	www.tetheredmercury.com OR Aviation Press PO Box 5613 Traverse City, MI 49696-5613 Tel. (231) 947-2567 E-mail: tetheredmercury@bignetnorth.net