A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts
by Andrew Chaikin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Andrew ChaikinForeword: Tom Hanks
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-08-28
ISBN: 014311235X
Number of pages: 720
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts
Book Review: Nearly flawless
Summary: 5 Stars
When reviewing on Amazon, I routinely notice that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Translated, I mean if a book has been reviewed 100 times there is usually a nice spread of 5 star to 1 star reviews with the spread usually leaning toward the 4 and 5 star reviews because readers are, by nature, apt to give a good review to something they've invested a month or two of their life in.
With that in mind, the sheer onslaught of 5 star reviews associated with this book should convince any and all to read it.
IT WAS TRULY A WONDERFUL BOOK.
I read the final 400 pages in 3 days. Couldn't put it down. I loved the way that Chaikin blended personal stories of family and real life in with the missions. I also loved the fact that he spent a considerable amount of time explaining the nuts and bolts of space travel on Apollos 8-13 and from there he decided to leave out certain aspects of the Apollo missions. I don't need to know about perfect ascents in the lunar module or what become standard takeoffs, dockings, burns, etc. He did cover the lightning strike of Apollo 14 and the issues that Ken Mattingly had on the CM on Apollo 16 and he should've. But why describe each perfect - or near perfect - aspect of each Apollo mission. He didn't waste time on the ordinary and instead focused on the extraordinary.
I would reommend this book to virtually anyone that is even mindly interested in knowing more about the Apollo missions and the space program. This book sells itself and will literally accelerate the reader through it. You want to know what happens next and each mission pulls you forward much like the moon's gravity pulled Apollo away form the Earth. you will literally be pulled through this book.
My only complaint would be that I would've like more illustrations. I would've like pictures mixed in with the writing. When they talk about a famous picture or a significant find, it would've been nice to have a map of the moon showing where they drove with the rover or where a certain crater actually lies. At times, where each mission landed in comparison to another mission became confusing and if the photos and finds were so significant then it would've been nice to have them right next to the actual reference in the book. This is being extremely nitpicky though so I will not hold back on giving this 5 stars for that reason. In my mind though, it would've engaged the reader even more.
BOTTOM LINE. IF YOU ARE AT ALL INTERESTED IN THIS SUBJECT MATTER READ THIS BOOK BEFORE ANY OTHERS. IT IS DETAILED ENOUGH TO TELL THE STORY BUT NOT TOO DETAILED AND WILL ENGAGE YOU THROUGHOUT.
Summary of A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts
This acclaimed portrait of heroism and ingenuity captures a watershed moment in human history. The astronauts themselves have called it the definitive account of their missions. On the night of July 20, 1969, our world changed forever when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Based on in-depth interviews with twenty-three of the twenty-four moon voyagers, as well as those who struggled to get the program moving, A Man on the Moon conveys every aspect of the Apollo missions with breathtaking immediacy and stunning detail.A decade in the making, this book is based on hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews with each of the twenty-four moon voyagers, as well as those who contributed their brain power, training and teamwork on Earth. In his preface Chaikin writes, "We touched the face of another world and became a people without limits."
What follows are thrilling accounts of such remarkable experiences as the rush of a liftoff, the heart-stopping touchdown on the moon, the final hurdle of re-entry, competition for a seat on a moon flight, the tragic spacecraft fire, and the search for clues to the origin of the solar system on the slopes of lunar mountains.
"I've been there. Chaikin took me back."--Gene Cernan, Apollo 17 astronaut20th Century Books
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