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What Is the Story of Captain Kirk? Paperback – December 7, 2021

by M. D. Payne (Author), Who HQ (Author), Robert Squier (Illustrator)

4.5 29 ratings

Part of: What Is the Story Of? (23 books)

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Your favorite characters are now part of the Who HQ library!

Journey to deep space and learn how James Tiberius Kirk became one of the greatest space heroes in the Star Trek universe in this addition to the New York Times bestselling series.

From appearances in live action and animated television shows, a series of films, comics, video games, and more, James T. Kirk is an established space captain in pop culture.

Star Trek remains one of the most popular science-fiction series of all time, and Captain Kirk is one of the most famous and highly decorated captains in the history of Starfleet. As the commanding officer of starships like the U.S.S. Enterprise, viewers follow his adventures through space. But did you know that Kirk wasn't even the show's first Captain? And that the Star Trek series almost didn't happen?

Author M. D. Payne takes readers aboard Starfleet starships as Kirk explores new worlds, encounters new villains, and "boldly goes where no man has gone before."

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Varied Themes & Affinity Categories Readers come in all kinds, so why shouldn't their history books? Who HQ books focus on critical themes explored in history, with titles highlighting important scientists, artists, writers, athletes, changemakers, and musicians. There's truly a book for every kind of interest.	Book Report-Friendly Who HQ titles are incredibly accessible and are perfect for engaging reluctant readers inside and outside the classroom. Whether being read for leisure or critically explored in the classroom, the Who HQ series provides a myriad of formats and uses.	Connect With Family Over History While books are written for middle-grade readers, their inviting and digestible package serves as the perfect go-to resource across the entire family. Learn facts you never knew and extend learning into your family from outside the classroom.	A New York Times Bestselling Series Trusted by Educators Educators from across the country use Who HQ titles in their classrooms and libraries. Featured on reading lists during the school year and the summer season, teachers look to this series to support and engage students alongside their lesson plans and extended learning programs.

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About the Author

M. D. Payne wrote his first books, the gross-out horror series MONSTER JUICE, from 2012 until 2014, and then became involved in the New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series, tackling spooky subjects like Who Is R. L. Stine? and What Is the Story of Scooby Doo? He lives in New York City.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

What Is the Story of Captain Kirk?

On the evening of September 8, 1966, people all around the United States tuned in to the NBC network. They were about to experience a historic moment in TV history: the very first episode of the new science fiction series, Star Trek. It was called “The Man Trap.”

Viewers saw a spaceship orbiting a red planet. Then they heard a commanding voice say: “Captain’s log, Stardate 1513.1. Our position: orbiting Planet M--113 . . .”

The voice they heard belonged to Captain James Tiberius Kirk.

Captain Kirk and viewers alike were soon thrown into a space mystery. A species that can look like anyone impersonated one of the spaceship’s crewmen, and, hungry for salt, sucked the life out of some of the crewmembers!

In order to protect his crew, Captain Kirk had to put the pieces together, solve the mystery, destroy the invader, and save the ship from doom—-all before the episode ended.

The show was packed with action.Unfortunately, though, reviews of the first Star Trek episode weren’t great. Some said that the sets, costumes, and even the acting seemed fake. But some viewers were drawn to the characters, especially Captain Kirk! He was tough and smart. He wasn’t afraid to show his emotions. He was in charge, but he knew when to ask for help. He was a space explorer who was still very human. He and the rest of the Star Trek crew instantly connected with viewers at home.

Because of that connection, Star Trek would soon become one of the most popular science fiction television series of all time. And Captain Kirk would become one of the most famous characters of any television series.

But did you know Kirk wasn’t even the show’s first captain? And that the Star Trek series almost didn’t happen?

This is the story of how Captain Kirk was created and touched the lives of millions of fans around the globe through television, movies, and more.

Chapter 1: Adventure in the Stars

During World War II, Gene Roddenberry was a bomber pilot who flew the B--17 Flying Fortress. After the war, he continued his career as a pilot. But on June 18, 1947, the engines of Pan American World Airways Flight 121 caught fire over Syria. The plane crash--landed, and the pilot died. Gene was the third pilot on that flight. He broke two ribs, but was still able to save a few passengers onboard before the whole plane burst into flames.

After that crash, Gene wondered if he should even be a pilot anymore. So in May 1948, at the age of twenty--six, he decided to pursue a new career: writing.

Gene had always dreamed of being a writer. He thought he could make money writing poetry. That was his dream—-until his friend bought a new (and very expensive) piece of technology—-a television set! In 1948, very few people could afford a television. Television stations were just getting up and running. There were only four hours of shows a night! But Gene saw something special on his friend’s television, and it wasn’t long before his dream changed again: He wanted to be a television writer.

He started writing scripts for different television shows, including police dramas like Highway Patrol and Dragnet, one of the most popular television shows of the 1950s. Many of the television episodes he wrote were Westerns, for shows like Have Gun—-Will Travel. Westerns told stories about the experiences of pioneers in the Old West of the United States.

By the end of the 1950s, televisions were in almost every home—-some of them now in color! Gene had become a well--respected, award--winning writer.

And now Gene had a new dream: He wanted to create his very own television show!

In 1963, he created a television series called The Lieutenant. The show followed the career of marine officer Second Lieutenant William Rice. Gene used his own military experience, through which he had achieved the rank of captain, to write a realistic show.

Unfortunately, The Lieutenant was canceled after a year. Gene had plenty of other ideas, though. In fact, he was working on something big! He planned to take what he had learned about writing adventure, justice, military, and drama stories and giving it all a science fiction twist.

Gene’s new television series idea was simple but groundbreaking at the time—-a ship would explore space in the twenty--third century. His show would be filled with a diverse crew on a space mission. He would call his series Star Trek.

Having a diverse crew was very important to Gene. At the time, television shows only hired white actors for starring roles. He believed in a future in which all cultures worked together and wanted to show that possibility on TV screens across America.

But first, Gene needed to sell the show to the network executives—-the people in charge of television stations. In his pitch, he described Star Trek using a popular TV show, Wagon Train, as an example: Wagon Train to the Stars. The crew of Star Trek, like the pioneers who first explored the American West, would make space discoveries while facing danger along the way.

Television network NBC was interested in Gene’s Star Trek idea and asked for a television pilot. A television pilot is an episode that is created for the network to decide if they want to add a new series to their channel.

In 1965, Gene created the pilot and called it “The Cage.” It told a space story starring the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Christopher Pike. He was trapped by strange life forms known as the Talosians on their planet, Talos IV. The crew had to save their captain!

NBC liked the pilot. The science and technology were like nothing they had ever seen: transporters to beam people down to a planet’s surface, force fields used to trap the captain, and aliens who could speak with their minds. But the network worried that the show didn’t have enough action for the audience, so they rejected “The Cage” and asked Gene to give them another pilot, one with amazing science and technology, but even more action and interesting characters. They needed a show that would attract both viewers and the advertisers that helped pay for the show.

Gene had to figure out how to make Star Trek work.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Workshop (December 7, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 112 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1524791148
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1524791148
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1050L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.38 x 0.31 x 8.69 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #427,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #53 in Children's Television & Radio Performing Books
- #170 in Children's Performing Arts Biographies (Books)
- #72,964 in Science Fiction & Fantasy (Books)

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4.5 29 ratings

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M. D. Payne

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M. D. Payne was born in 1978 in New Hampshire to an Air Force Family and grew up in 11 different homes in Maine, California, Idaho, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and Germany. As a child, he was a ravenous reader. While in elementary school, his favorite past-time was creating cut-and-paste scrapbooks of presidential facts that remain in his mother's possession today. M. D. has been a fan of Halloween and horror into adulthood, so he jumped at the chance to write marketing and creative copy for the famed GOOSEBUMPS series in 2007, and was soon pulled into the world of kidlit. He wrote his first books, the gross-out horror series MONSTER JUICE, from 2012–2014, and then became involved in the NY Times bestselling WHO WAS series, tackling spooky titles like "Who Is R. L. Stine?" and "What is the Story of Scooby-Doo?"

Before M. D. was a writer, he was a Jazz DJ, wrote scripts for Jazz at Lincoln Center Radio, and was associate producer on Essentially Ellington recordings and public radio programs such as "Honky Tonks, Hymns, and the Blues" and "W.C. Handy’s Blues." He took that decade of experience and poured it into the WHO WAS book on Jazz legend Duke Ellington. "Who Was Duke Ellington?" will be available December 1, 2020.

A fan of kids, reading, and especially kids who read, M. D. gives presentations on reading and writing to children and parents alike at numerous schools around the country, and around the world via Skype. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

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Goddess of Chaos

"His acts of leadership on every mission helped define the show. Captain Kirk was seen as..."

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2022

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"His acts of leadership on every mission helped define the show. Captain Kirk was seen as the perfect mix of bravery and confidence."

This book blends reality and fiction as it sets the fictional life of Captain Kirk on screen into the real life if Gene Roddenberry, and our world... For instance, noting relevant issues of our time that Captain Kirk and his crew faced in his explorations.

If you ever wondered if the character of James T. Kirk has become fully realized over the course of 79 episodes, 10 movies, and additional creative content (animated series, books, etc.) This book left me in no doubt the character has been given depth, and attention over the years, which is just one of many reasons he is a beloved leader by so many.

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