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A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts
by Andrew Chaikin
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (1995-05-01)
ISBN: 0140097066
EAN: 9780140097061
Dewey Decimal #: 629.4540973
Paperback: 688 pages
SKU: 20356
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Paperback. All pages clean and free of marks.
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Editorial Reviews
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Amazon.com
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 astronaut
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Book Description
Part Two Of Two Parts On the night of July 20, 1969, two Americans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked on the moon. Now the greatest event of the twentieth century is magnificently retold through the eyes of people who were there. Chaikin recaptures the emotion of Apollo: not only the macho fighter-jock exhilaration of flying higher and farther than anyone in history, but also the frustration of astronauts bumped from the moon crews by illness or other twists of fate as well as the worldwide tension when an explosion forced Apollo 13 to return prematurely to Earth. A decade in the making, A MAN ON THE MOON is based on the in-depth interviews with the twenty-three surviving moon voyagers, as well as those who struggled to get the program moving. Mr. Chaikin recounts every aspect of the missions with breathtaking immediacy: from the rush of liftoff, to the heartstopping lunar touchdown, to the final hurdle of reentry.
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Customer Reviews
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A Recreation of Wonder
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-09-03
This book vividly paints the picture of the voyages and lives of the Apollo astronauts. It is exhaustively detailed; so much so that you often feel as if the astronauts are telling their own stories in real time. For true fans of the Apollo era this is the comprehensive story of the greatest adventure man has ever undertaken.
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History lesson in the making.
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-08-03
A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts
This is an outstanding lesson in history from the perspective of those who lived it. Having just attended Advanced Space Academy for Educators in Huntsville, Alabama and the Kennedy Space Center, Florida; this book brought the sites, history, and lessons to life.
It should be required reading for those who have forgotten what our American Spirit is all about.
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These Men dared to sit on top of Rockets!
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-06-30
This is a comprehensive book about the Apollo space program that does an exceptional job of capturing one of the most incredible times in human history. It was a time when the belief was that we could do just about anything we set our minds to.
Andrew Chaikin does an amazing job of capturing the courage, the commitment, the sacrifices, the driving motives and vision of the astronauts, supporting crews, wives and more. This 600+ page book hardly wastes a word. The book was so good it was turned into a mini series by HBO.
It is clear that Chaikin has a deep passion and respect for the space program and the people in it. He brings the truth to this writing without much dirty laundry being exposed.
This book deserves a place on any space buff's book shelf. It is also a great read for anyone interested in true life adventure of men who dared to sit on the top of rockets and go where no one had gone before. Highly recommended!
Here are a few other great books on the US space program:
Failure is not an Option - Gene Kranz
The Last Man on the Moon - Gene Cernan
The Unbroken Chain - Guenter Wendt
The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking
The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space
Failure is not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
The Unbroken Chain: Apogee Books Space Series 20 (Apogee Books Space Series)
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Perfect Mix of Technical and Entertainment!!!
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-06-29
I recently took my four year old son to KSC to see the launch of Discovery on its STS-124 mission. While I have always been one to make sure I have the TV on during a launch, I never dove much deeper than the average newspaper coverage. However, after taking the tours at KSC, a fire was ignited.
This book was the perfect fit for me. It covers every apollo mission without losing interest in the later missions. Obviously more time is spent covering Apollo's 1, 11, & 13.
Chaikin introduces the readers to many of the astronauts that while are not as well known as Armstrong, contibuted just as much, if not more to the program.
As it states in the description, the series,From the Earth to the Moon closely follows the book, but puts a more personal touch on the program while still providing enough information for the book to be used as reference for high school papers or a college thesis. It is the perfect mix of technical and entertainment. A Great Read!!
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The best telling of Apollo... period!
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-05-27
I'd like to be able to say that I like my own Apollo book better, but I can't. Chaikin's work stands alone in my mind as the definitive telling of the Apollo program. This is a book that entertains while informing- never an easy task, especially with science. Chaikin went to great lengths to assure accuracy... he is well-known by the living moonwalkers/Apollo CM pilots, and his work is respected by the few I was privileged to interview. Andy was also gracious enough to be interviewed for my Modern Marvels show, "Apollo 11," which made my interview roster complete. His ability to illuminate the history of Apollo is as dazzling in person as it is on the printed page. Buy it, read it, and re-read it. I do so at least one a year!
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