This year marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the Moon . . . and returning safely. The perfect time for a stellar book review!
Always wondered exactly how this historic event was achieved? And then achieved again, a further five times? The absolute go-to book of the Apollo programme is the epic “A Man On The Moon” by Andrew Chaikin.
Chaikin took years to complete this book, making the most of access to NASA files. And, perhaps more importantly, the astronauts themselves.
It manages to combine in-depth detail of the Apollo spacecraft and the lunar modules with the very human side of the space race.
With each Apollo mission covered in detail, we even get an insight into Mission Control, and the unbelievable stress experienced by the people on the ground.
Possibly even more exciting than the first Moon landing is the positively Herculean effort that went into bringing the crew of Apollo 13 home safely.
Tom Hanks starred in a film based on that event (he played mission commander Jim Lovell), and he used “A Man On The Moon” as the basis for his TV series “From The Earth To The Moon“.
Both of these are also worth a viewing!
If this book review has inspired you, click here to see what else we’ve been reading.
The Apollo 11 landing took place on July 20, 1969. Keep an eye on the website fascinating facts and trivia when the day arrives!
And if you can’t wait that long, find the momentous day by scrolling along our interactive timeline.
Tracey Steel Having worked on a number of magazines over the years, I have found my perfect place on the “Friend” as I’m obsessed with reading and never go anywhere without a book! I read all of our stories with a mug of tea close by and usually a bit of strong cheese too!
