Page "Starman Jones" Paragraph 18

The book has a strong feeling of verisimilitude because so much of it is based on Heinlein's real-life experiences.

Heinlein, who intended as a young man to become an astronomer, describes Max as a boy who can tell time by looking at the position of the stars in the sky, and who becomes an astrogator.

Heinlein had also been a U. S. naval officer.