Solid science and thoroughly enjoyable, 28 Oct 2008
Phil Plait once again manages to convey a hefty dose of solid scientific knowledge in an entertaining and real page-turner fashion. Covering pretty much every sci-fi end-of-the-world threat from outer space he educates and entertains with stories of supernovae, black holes, gamma bursts and the like.

Along with the scientific explanations there is a common thread of pragmatic risk appraisal without the usual sensationalism. Even the benefits of many of the risks are discussed, such as the generation of heavier elements by supernovae.

Death from the Skies is both enjoyable and educational, and you are unlikely to be disappointed.

Solid science and thoroughly enjoyable, 28 Oct 2008
Phil Plait once again manages to convey a hefty dose of solid scientific knowledge in an entertaining and real page-turner fashion. Covering pretty much every sci-fi end-of-the-world threat from outer space he educates and entertains with stories of supernovae, black holes, gamma bursts and the like.

Along with the scientific explanations there is a common thread of pragmatic risk appraisal without the usual sensationalism. Even the benefits of many of the risks are discussed, such as the generation of heavier elements by supernovae.

Death from the Skies is both enjoyable and educational, and you are unlikely to be disappointed.

A Big Book About a Big Man, 17 Oct 2008
In two hundred years time very few people now alive will be routinely known and their names and deeds recalled. Only historians will be be familiar with the names of pygmies such as Bush and Blair. However, we live in a culture which immortalises great explorers - Magellan, Columbus, Cook, Amundsen, Hillary & Tenzing Norgay and many others. In our time Neil Armstrong joined this exclusive group along with Yuri Gagarin.

I would go so far as to say that the Apollo mission to the moon was the defining cultural statement of identity made by mankind in the second half of the twentieth century. It was our equivalent of building stonehenge, the great wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, the great mediaeval cathedrals, the voyages of discovery in small wooden ships and the great Victorian engineering achievements. It set down a mark for future generations to get a measure of us. It was as if we were saying to posterity 'look at this and wonder at us that we could do this in our time. This is the most difficult thing we can do at this time. Judge us by this.'

Whilst Apollo was an immense engineering and scientific project it was also one of the greatest human adventures of modern times. And at the centre of this adventure was an enigma, Neil Armstrong. Armstrong is a quiet man from Ohio who developed an early interest in aviation that takes him into the military and the Korean war. Later he becomes a brilliant test pilot and this leads to his involvement with the space programme. It is extraordinary that this is the first full biography that has been written about Armstrong with his co-operation. It is quite amusing that in an extrovert nation such as the US, which seems to like its super heroes to be big, loud, brash and in your face, Armstrong comes across as introverted and self-contained with no interest at all in celebrity or fame. He has spent most of his post Apollo life living quietly on a farm in Ohio.

I admire the author's perseverance in persuading Armstrong to co-operate in the first place as this was evidently not easy. Despite all the difficulties he has produced a big and worthy book. It's clear, reading between the lines, that Armstrong was not the easiest man to work with and his co-operation was less than total. Nevertheless, this is the best book you're ever going to get about Neil Armstrong. If you are interested in his life and remarkable achievements this is the one to buy.

Good but perhaps not perfect, 17 Oct 2007
Having looked forward to a 'life of Neil Armstrong book' for most of my life being a real Apollo fan. I did enjoy reading First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong. This book is well researched, has some good pictures and for the first time the reader can learn about the 'real Neil Armstrong'. There is much more to Mr.Armstrong than being the first man on the moon.

A great read - will be liked by space buffs, maybe a little dry for those who are not!



This should be a fascinating book..., 08 Aug 2007
...but is by far and way the worst written book I have read in years. I cannot fathom how anyone can make the story of travelling and landing on the moon so uninteresting. There is page after page after page of irrelevant data which leaves you feeling cheated of precious time.

I have no doubt this is an incredibly well researched book, but so is an encyclopedia and I have no interest in reading one from cover to cover.

Award Winning!, 30 Dec 2006
This book has just earned the title of "Outstanding Academic Book" of 2006, awarded by CHOICE magazine and the American Library Association. It has also won the top book award of the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. As Walter Cronkite says on the cover of the book, it is "a book for all time."

Plane Spotter's Delight, 09 Dec 2006
Neil's forebears came from Scotland, but none was William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, or Bonny Prince Charley.

When Neil was at Primary school it is thought that, on occasions, he may have got a gold star. But there is no documentation on the matter.

A nasty man called Yeager wrote some stories about Neil but they were probably not what occurred.

A chap called Wolfe wrote a book which exaggerated a lot of things and some of them weren't how Neil remembers them.

Neil flew a lot of state of the art planes, sometimes for hours on end, and he did a lot of take offs and landings, and all his bosses thought he was an OK guy, most of the time.

If you are a plane spotter or an insomniac you will love this book.

In 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik and the ensuing space race. Three years later, Gene Kranz left his aircraft testing job to join NASA and champion the American cause. What he found was an embryonic department run by whizz kids (such as himself), sharp engineers and technicians who had to create the Mercury mission rules and procedures from the ground up. As he says, "Since there were no books written on the actual methodology of space flight, we had to write them as we went along".

Kranz was part of the mission control team that, in January 1961, launched a chimpanzee into space and successfully retrieved him and made Alan Shepard the first American in space in May 1961. Just two months later they launched Gus Grissom for a space orbit, John Glenn orbited Earth three times in February 1962, and in May 1963 Gordon Cooper completed the final Project Mercury launch with 22 Earth orbits. And through them all, and the many Apollo missions that followed, Gene Kranz was one of the integral inside men--one of those who bore the responsibility for the Apollo 1 tragedy and the leader of the "tiger team" that saved the Apollo 13 astronauts.

Moviegoers know Gene Kranz through Ed Harris's Oscar-nominated portrayal of him in Apollo 13, but Kranz provides a more detailed insider's perspective in his book Failure Is Not an Option. You see NASA through his eyes, from its primitive days when he first joined up, through the 1993 shuttle mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, his last mission control project. His memoir, however, is not high literature. Kranz has many accomplishments and honours to his credit, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but this is his first book, and he's not a polished author. There are, perhaps, more behind-the-scenes details and more paragraphs devoted to what Cape Canaveral looked like than the general public demands. If, however, you have a long-standing fascination with aeronautics, if you watched Apollo 13 and wanted more, Failure Is Not an Option will fit the bill. --Stephanie Gold

Solid science and thoroughly enjoyable, 28 Oct 2008
Phil Plait once again manages to convey a hefty dose of solid scientific knowledge in an entertaining and real page-turner fashion. Covering pretty much every sci-fi end-of-the-world threat from outer space he educates and entertains with stories of supernovae, black holes, gamma bursts and the like.

Along with the scientific explanations there is a common thread of pragmatic risk appraisal without the usual sensationalism. Even the benefits of many of the risks are discussed, such as the generation of heavier elements by supernovae.

Death from the Skies is both enjoyable and educational, and you are unlikely to be disappointed.

A Big Book About a Big Man, 17 Oct 2008
In two hundred years time very few people now alive will be routinely known and their names and deeds recalled. Only historians will be be familiar with the names of pygmies such as Bush and Blair. However, we live in a culture which immortalises great explorers - Magellan, Columbus, Cook, Amundsen, Hillary & Tenzing Norgay and many others. In our time Neil Armstrong joined this exclusive group along with Yuri Gagarin.

I would go so far as to say that the Apollo mission to the moon was the defining cultural statement of identity made by mankind in the second half of the twentieth century. It was our equivalent of building stonehenge, the great wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, the great mediaeval cathedrals, the voyages of discovery in small wooden ships and the great Victorian engineering achievements. It set down a mark for future generations to get a measure of us. It was as if we were saying to posterity 'look at this and wonder at us that we could do this in our time. This is the most difficult thing we can do at this time. Judge us by this.'

Whilst Apollo was an immense engineering and scientific project it was also one of the greatest human adventures of modern times. And at the centre of this adventure was an enigma, Neil Armstrong. Armstrong is a quiet man from Ohio who developed an early interest in aviation that takes him into the military and the Korean war. Later he becomes a brilliant test pilot and this leads to his involvement with the space programme. It is extraordinary that this is the first full biography that has been written about Armstrong with his co-operation. It is quite amusing that in an extrovert nation such as the US, which seems to like its super heroes to be big, loud, brash and in your face, Armstrong comes across as introverted and self-contained with no interest at all in celebrity or fame. He has spent most of his post Apollo life living quietly on a farm in Ohio.

I admire the author's perseverance in persuading Armstrong to co-operate in the first place as this was evidently not easy. Despite all the difficulties he has produced a big and worthy book. It's clear, reading between the lines, that Armstrong was not the easiest man to work with and his co-operation was less than total. Nevertheless, this is the best book you're ever going to get about Neil Armstrong. If you are interested in his life and remarkable achievements this is the one to buy.

Good but perhaps not perfect, 17 Oct 2007
Having looked forward to a 'life of Neil Armstrong book' for most of my life being a real Apollo fan. I did enjoy reading First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong. This book is well researched, has some good pictures and for the first time the reader can learn about the 'real Neil Armstrong'. There is much more to Mr.Armstrong than being the first man on the moon.

A great read - will be liked by space buffs, maybe a little dry for those who are not!



This should be a fascinating book..., 08 Aug 2007
...but is by far and way the worst written book I have read in years. I cannot fathom how anyone can make the story of travelling and landing on the moon so uninteresting. There is page after page after page of irrelevant data which leaves you feeling cheated of precious time.

I have no doubt this is an incredibly well researched book, but so is an encyclopedia and I have no interest in reading one from cover to cover.

Award Winning!, 30 Dec 2006
This book has just earned the title of "Outstanding Academic Book" of 2006, awarded by CHOICE magazine and the American Library Association. It has also won the top book award of the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. As Walter Cronkite says on the cover of the book, it is "a book for all time."

Plane Spotter's Delight, 09 Dec 2006
Neil's forebears came from Scotland, but none was William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, or Bonny Prince Charley.

When Neil was at Primary school it is thought that, on occasions, he may have got a gold star. But there is no documentation on the matter.

A nasty man called Yeager wrote some stories about Neil but they were probably not what occurred.

A chap called Wolfe wrote a book which exaggerated a lot of things and some of them weren't how Neil remembers them.

Neil flew a lot of state of the art planes, sometimes for hours on end, and he did a lot of take offs and landings, and all his bosses thought he was an OK guy, most of the time.

If you are a plane spotter or an insomniac you will love this book.


Be Tough and Competent!, 27 Aug 2008
Gene Kranz does an amazing of showing what people can do if they have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment and passion.

The book allows us to see Kranz's perspective as flight controller, (and later flight director) during his tenure on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs and beyond.

From the tremendous successes, to the gut wrenching failures, to the heroism, to the practical jokes, this book has it all. Gene Kranz was a key player in helping to create a culture of Tough and Competent flight controllers who had discipline and morale. They knew the true meaning of teamwork.

One of the stories that impressed me most was after the devastating tragedy of the Apollo 1. A fire on the pad killed Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffe while they were training in the capsule. Afterwards Kranz got in front of his flight controllers and said:

"Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect. Somewhere, somehow, we screwed up. It could have been the design, build, or test. Whatever it was we should have caught it."

Kranz and his people (as well as everyone else on the space program) took responsibility for their actions and went on to amazing successes. We crawled out the cradle of this home we call earth and explored another world. Twelve men in all walked on the moon. Also, three astronauts were brought back home safely from the brink of disaster in Apollo 13. We had truly gone where no man had gone before.

These were human beings, and they are the best of the best. Not an Astronaut was lost during any of the following Apollo missions. The tragedy on the pad drove the commitment of everyone on the space program to an entirely new level. As a matter of fact, not a man was lost once they left earth on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

Gene Kranz sums up how he gained his skills to be a top flight director when he said:

"The flight director's ultimate training comes at the console, working real problems, facing the risks, making irrevocable decisions."


This book belongs on any bookshelf, but not to be looked at, but to be read and understood. We all have the makings of greatness, we just have to take responsibility for our actions and do the very best we know how. What other amazing things can we accomplish as a species if we have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment, and passion?

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Absolutely Brilliant, 28 Jun 2007
Eugene Kranz is an unsung hero. Maybe most people are familiar with Ed Harris's portrayal of him in Apollo 13 but the man was around from the beginning of the space programme. We've already forgetten, all too easily, what an astonishing achievement NASA completed with the space programme in terms of technology. We forget also that the staff there literally invented the rules as they went along. But apart from all the engineering and science, there is the incredible way that they stood up to the pressure not just on the Apollo 13 mission but in other situations. In the thick of it all is Eugene Kranz. These days people in the UK are stupid enough to vote Queenie and Robbie Williams as the most important Britains ever. As an antidote read this and focus on someone who deserves our admiration.

Fascinating behind the scenes account, 06 Apr 2006
Gene Kranz was one of the original band of NASA flight directors, some readers may remember he was played by a white waistcoat-wearing Ed Harris in the film about Apollo 13. This book is for those of us that are slightly geeky with regards to the Space Race in as far as this is a technical and detailed account of what took place in the Mission Control Room while the mission was in progress. It is not a riveting read by any stretch of the imagination but it does offer the interested reader another take Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Gene Kranz is unashamedly patriotic and God-fearing with a slight propensity to describe almost all of his colleagues as all American heroes. Nevertheless, afficionados of this era of space exploration will find a lot in this book.

THE book, 02 Dec 2005
I have read a lot of books about Apollo but this is the one i keep turning back to. Gene Krantz is simply a fascinating figure and his job in Mission Control the most exiting there was - Period.... Krantz writes with the passion that is burning within every good engineer and he writes in an easily readable style, yes there are a lot of tecnical "mumbo jumbo" in the book but the story is easily understood nevertheless. If you only want to read one book about Apollo it should probably be "Apollo, the Race to the moon" by Murray/Cox but when you've read that one and gotten hooked, this one would be am obvious number two.

A book that had to be written, 16 Jul 2003
This excellent volume provides an insight into the project development and team building that supported the Mercury, Geminii and Apollo programmes.

Gene Kranz had an overwhelming commitment to his role within Mission Control but the narrative also reveals his ability to nurture those who followed him and the level of admiration he felt for everyone involved in the space programme. The details of mission planning and the emotions felt in times of celebration and tragedy are well docmented.

As a man, Kranz comes across as honest, genuine and loyal - he looks for the good in everyone.

To paraphrase Charlie Duke, the astronauts could not have made their spectacular journeys without the support of those on the ground - this book serves to illustrates the truth of this beyond doubt.

Solid science and thoroughly enjoyable, 28 Oct 2008
Phil Plait once again manages to convey a hefty dose of solid scientific knowledge in an entertaining and real page-turner fashion. Covering pretty much every sci-fi end-of-the-world threat from outer space he educates and entertains with stories of supernovae, black holes, gamma bursts and the like.

Along with the scientific explanations there is a common thread of pragmatic risk appraisal without the usual sensationalism. Even the benefits of many of the risks are discussed, such as the generation of heavier elements by supernovae.

Death from the Skies is both enjoyable and educational, and you are unlikely to be disappointed.

A Big Book About a Big Man, 17 Oct 2008
In two hundred years time very few people now alive will be routinely known and their names and deeds recalled. Only historians will be be familiar with the names of pygmies such as Bush and Blair. However, we live in a culture which immortalises great explorers - Magellan, Columbus, Cook, Amundsen, Hillary & Tenzing Norgay and many others. In our time Neil Armstrong joined this exclusive group along with Yuri Gagarin.

I would go so far as to say that the Apollo mission to the moon was the defining cultural statement of identity made by mankind in the second half of the twentieth century. It was our equivalent of building stonehenge, the great wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, the great mediaeval cathedrals, the voyages of discovery in small wooden ships and the great Victorian engineering achievements. It set down a mark for future generations to get a measure of us. It was as if we were saying to posterity 'look at this and wonder at us that we could do this in our time. This is the most difficult thing we can do at this time. Judge us by this.'

Whilst Apollo was an immense engineering and scientific project it was also one of the greatest human adventures of modern times. And at the centre of this adventure was an enigma, Neil Armstrong. Armstrong is a quiet man from Ohio who developed an early interest in aviation that takes him into the military and the Korean war. Later he becomes a brilliant test pilot and this leads to his involvement with the space programme. It is extraordinary that this is the first full biography that has been written about Armstrong with his co-operation. It is quite amusing that in an extrovert nation such as the US, which seems to like its super heroes to be big, loud, brash and in your face, Armstrong comes across as introverted and self-contained with no interest at all in celebrity or fame. He has spent most of his post Apollo life living quietly on a farm in Ohio.

I admire the author's perseverance in persuading Armstrong to co-operate in the first place as this was evidently not easy. Despite all the difficulties he has produced a big and worthy book. It's clear, reading between the lines, that Armstrong was not the easiest man to work with and his co-operation was less than total. Nevertheless, this is the best book you're ever going to get about Neil Armstrong. If you are interested in his life and remarkable achievements this is the one to buy.

Good but perhaps not perfect, 17 Oct 2007
Having looked forward to a 'life of Neil Armstrong book' for most of my life being a real Apollo fan. I did enjoy reading First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong. This book is well researched, has some good pictures and for the first time the reader can learn about the 'real Neil Armstrong'. There is much more to Mr.Armstrong than being the first man on the moon.

A great read - will be liked by space buffs, maybe a little dry for those who are not!



This should be a fascinating book..., 08 Aug 2007
...but is by far and way the worst written book I have read in years. I cannot fathom how anyone can make the story of travelling and landing on the moon so uninteresting. There is page after page after page of irrelevant data which leaves you feeling cheated of precious time.

I have no doubt this is an incredibly well researched book, but so is an encyclopedia and I have no interest in reading one from cover to cover.

Award Winning!, 30 Dec 2006
This book has just earned the title of "Outstanding Academic Book" of 2006, awarded by CHOICE magazine and the American Library Association. It has also won the top book award of the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. As Walter Cronkite says on the cover of the book, it is "a book for all time."

Plane Spotter's Delight, 09 Dec 2006
Neil's forebears came from Scotland, but none was William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, or Bonny Prince Charley.

When Neil was at Primary school it is thought that, on occasions, he may have got a gold star. But there is no documentation on the matter.

A nasty man called Yeager wrote some stories about Neil but they were probably not what occurred.

A chap called Wolfe wrote a book which exaggerated a lot of things and some of them weren't how Neil remembers them.

Neil flew a lot of state of the art planes, sometimes for hours on end, and he did a lot of take offs and landings, and all his bosses thought he was an OK guy, most of the time.

If you are a plane spotter or an insomniac you will love this book.


Be Tough and Competent!, 27 Aug 2008
Gene Kranz does an amazing of showing what people can do if they have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment and passion.

The book allows us to see Kranz's perspective as flight controller, (and later flight director) during his tenure on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs and beyond.

From the tremendous successes, to the gut wrenching failures, to the heroism, to the practical jokes, this book has it all. Gene Kranz was a key player in helping to create a culture of Tough and Competent flight controllers who had discipline and morale. They knew the true meaning of teamwork.

One of the stories that impressed me most was after the devastating tragedy of the Apollo 1. A fire on the pad killed Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffe while they were training in the capsule. Afterwards Kranz got in front of his flight controllers and said:

"Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect. Somewhere, somehow, we screwed up. It could have been the design, build, or test. Whatever it was we should have caught it."

Kranz and his people (as well as everyone else on the space program) took responsibility for their actions and went on to amazing successes. We crawled out the cradle of this home we call earth and explored another world. Twelve men in all walked on the moon. Also, three astronauts were brought back home safely from the brink of disaster in Apollo 13. We had truly gone where no man had gone before.

These were human beings, and they are the best of the best. Not an Astronaut was lost during any of the following Apollo missions. The tragedy on the pad drove the commitment of everyone on the space program to an entirely new level. As a matter of fact, not a man was lost once they left earth on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

Gene Kranz sums up how he gained his skills to be a top flight director when he said:

"The flight director's ultimate training comes at the console, working real problems, facing the risks, making irrevocable decisions."


This book belongs on any bookshelf, but not to be looked at, but to be read and understood. We all have the makings of greatness, we just have to take responsibility for our actions and do the very best we know how. What other amazing things can we accomplish as a species if we have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment, and passion?

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Absolutely Brilliant, 28 Jun 2007
Eugene Kranz is an unsung hero. Maybe most people are familiar with Ed Harris's portrayal of him in Apollo 13 but the man was around from the beginning of the space programme. We've already forgetten, all too easily, what an astonishing achievement NASA completed with the space programme in terms of technology. We forget also that the staff there literally invented the rules as they went along. But apart from all the engineering and science, there is the incredible way that they stood up to the pressure not just on the Apollo 13 mission but in other situations. In the thick of it all is Eugene Kranz. These days people in the UK are stupid enough to vote Queenie and Robbie Williams as the most important Britains ever. As an antidote read this and focus on someone who deserves our admiration.

Fascinating behind the scenes account, 06 Apr 2006
Gene Kranz was one of the original band of NASA flight directors, some readers may remember he was played by a white waistcoat-wearing Ed Harris in the film about Apollo 13. This book is for those of us that are slightly geeky with regards to the Space Race in as far as this is a technical and detailed account of what took place in the Mission Control Room while the mission was in progress. It is not a riveting read by any stretch of the imagination but it does offer the interested reader another take Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Gene Kranz is unashamedly patriotic and God-fearing with a slight propensity to describe almost all of his colleagues as all American heroes. Nevertheless, afficionados of this era of space exploration will find a lot in this book.

THE book, 02 Dec 2005
I have read a lot of books about Apollo but this is the one i keep turning back to. Gene Krantz is simply a fascinating figure and his job in Mission Control the most exiting there was - Period.... Krantz writes with the passion that is burning within every good engineer and he writes in an easily readable style, yes there are a lot of tecnical "mumbo jumbo" in the book but the story is easily understood nevertheless. If you only want to read one book about Apollo it should probably be "Apollo, the Race to the moon" by Murray/Cox but when you've read that one and gotten hooked, this one would be am obvious number two.

A book that had to be written, 16 Jul 2003
This excellent volume provides an insight into the project development and team building that supported the Mercury, Geminii and Apollo programmes.

Gene Kranz had an overwhelming commitment to his role within Mission Control but the narrative also reveals his ability to nurture those who followed him and the level of admiration he felt for everyone involved in the space programme. The details of mission planning and the emotions felt in times of celebration and tragedy are well docmented.

As a man, Kranz comes across as honest, genuine and loyal - he looks for the good in everyone.

To paraphrase Charlie Duke, the astronauts could not have made their spectacular journeys without the support of those on the ground - this book serves to illustrates the truth of this beyond doubt.

The best Apollo book I've read - impossible to put down, 22 Oct 2008
I've read many books about the Apollo program and have to agree with other reviewers that Michael Collins' account is by far the most enjoyable read and shows the astronaut who has spent years in the shadow of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to be a very intelligent, witty and likeable story teller. Absolutely brilliant!

For readers who want to see more of this famously illusive astronaut, he takes a leading role (along with his infectious personality) in the film In The Shadow Of The Moon [2007]

Simply the Best, 17 Oct 2008
I agree with the other reviews that rate this as the best Apollo book. Collins was there on the first moon landing mission and, unusually for an astronaut, he has the skills of a top class professional writer to be able to communicate the experience. He also explains the technicalities of spaceflight in an accessible way. A really outstanding book.

Top of the pyramid, 25 Jul 2008
Collins' book is not ghost-written, but in his own voice. His homely vivid language brings accessibly to life the incredible detail in the technology and training behind his test-pilot career in the air and in space. It gives an idea of what it must have been like 'to be there'. He modestly sees himself at the top of a pyramid of thousands of people working to make the moon accessible. He finishes thinking thoughtfully of the impact on his fellow astronauts, and of Apollo's place in history. I wish I'd read it years ago!

Brilliant - even from an a beginners point of view!!, 14 Jul 2008
I have recently gained an interest in space and in particular the lunar landings. The previous reviews encouraged me to buy this and I'm glad I did. This book was a little technical at times and although I sometimes didn't quite understand the exact details - I got the general idea and it certainly didn't stop me from rating it top marks. You really do get a true, honest account from Michael Collins and he gives credit where credit is due to the other astronauts. I am now half way through Andrew Chalkins "Man on the Moon" which is so far excellent also.

Superb book, 02 Jul 2008
This is a great read for anyone with even a slight interest in Space flight and the whole 1960's Space race involving the Gemini and Apollo programs. Collins has a very good style of writing which is warm and well informed but easy to understand he doesn't complicate the Technical stuff too much, thus making it easier to grasp.

Overall it fully deserves the rating of 5 stars.

Interested in Space flight ? Then buy this book.

Solid science and thoroughly enjoyable, 28 Oct 2008
Phil Plait once again manages to convey a hefty dose of solid scientific knowledge in an entertaining and real page-turner fashion. Covering pretty much every sci-fi end-of-the-world threat from outer space he educates and entertains with stories of supernovae, black holes, gamma bursts and the like.

Along with the scientific explanations there is a common thread of pragmatic risk appraisal without the usual sensationalism. Even the benefits of many of the risks are discussed, such as the generation of heavier elements by supernovae.

Death from the Skies is both enjoyable and educational, and you are unlikely to be disappointed.

A Big Book About a Big Man, 17 Oct 2008
In two hundred years time very few people now alive will be routinely known and their names and deeds recalled. Only historians will be be familiar with the names of pygmies such as Bush and Blair. However, we live in a culture which immortalises great explorers - Magellan, Columbus, Cook, Amundsen, Hillary & Tenzing Norgay and many others. In our time Neil Armstrong joined this exclusive group along with Yuri Gagarin.

I would go so far as to say that the Apollo mission to the moon was the defining cultural statement of identity made by mankind in the second half of the twentieth century. It was our equivalent of building stonehenge, the great wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, the great mediaeval cathedrals, the voyages of discovery in small wooden ships and the great Victorian engineering achievements. It set down a mark for future generations to get a measure of us. It was as if we were saying to posterity 'look at this and wonder at us that we could do this in our time. This is the most difficult thing we can do at this time. Judge us by this.'

Whilst Apollo was an immense engineering and scientific project it was also one of the greatest human adventures of modern times. And at the centre of this adventure was an enigma, Neil Armstrong. Armstrong is a quiet man from Ohio who developed an early interest in aviation that takes him into the military and the Korean war. Later he becomes a brilliant test pilot and this leads to his involvement with the space programme. It is extraordinary that this is the first full biography that has been written about Armstrong with his co-operation. It is quite amusing that in an extrovert nation such as the US, which seems to like its super heroes to be big, loud, brash and in your face, Armstrong comes across as introverted and self-contained with no interest at all in celebrity or fame. He has spent most of his post Apollo life living quietly on a farm in Ohio.

I admire the author's perseverance in persuading Armstrong to co-operate in the first place as this was evidently not easy. Despite all the difficulties he has produced a big and worthy book. It's clear, reading between the lines, that Armstrong was not the easiest man to work with and his co-operation was less than total. Nevertheless, this is the best book you're ever going to get about Neil Armstrong. If you are interested in his life and remarkable achievements this is the one to buy.

Good but perhaps not perfect, 17 Oct 2007
Having looked forward to a 'life of Neil Armstrong book' for most of my life being a real Apollo fan. I did enjoy reading First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong. This book is well researched, has some good pictures and for the first time the reader can learn about the 'real Neil Armstrong'. There is much more to Mr.Armstrong than being the first man on the moon.

A great read - will be liked by space buffs, maybe a little dry for those who are not!



This should be a fascinating book..., 08 Aug 2007
...but is by far and way the worst written book I have read in years. I cannot fathom how anyone can make the story of travelling and landing on the moon so uninteresting. There is page after page after page of irrelevant data which leaves you feeling cheated of precious time.

I have no doubt this is an incredibly well researched book, but so is an encyclopedia and I have no interest in reading one from cover to cover.

Award Winning!, 30 Dec 2006
This book has just earned the title of "Outstanding Academic Book" of 2006, awarded by CHOICE magazine and the American Library Association. It has also won the top book award of the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. As Walter Cronkite says on the cover of the book, it is "a book for all time."

Plane Spotter's Delight, 09 Dec 2006
Neil's forebears came from Scotland, but none was William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, or Bonny Prince Charley.

When Neil was at Primary school it is thought that, on occasions, he may have got a gold star. But there is no documentation on the matter.

A nasty man called Yeager wrote some stories about Neil but they were probably not what occurred.

A chap called Wolfe wrote a book which exaggerated a lot of things and some of them weren't how Neil remembers them.

Neil flew a lot of state of the art planes, sometimes for hours on end, and he did a lot of take offs and landings, and all his bosses thought he was an OK guy, most of the time.

If you are a plane spotter or an insomniac you will love this book.


Be Tough and Competent!, 27 Aug 2008
Gene Kranz does an amazing of showing what people can do if they have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment and passion.

The book allows us to see Kranz's perspective as flight controller, (and later flight director) during his tenure on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs and beyond.

From the tremendous successes, to the gut wrenching failures, to the heroism, to the practical jokes, this book has it all. Gene Kranz was a key player in helping to create a culture of Tough and Competent flight controllers who had discipline and morale. They knew the true meaning of teamwork.

One of the stories that impressed me most was after the devastating tragedy of the Apollo 1. A fire on the pad killed Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffe while they were training in the capsule. Afterwards Kranz got in front of his flight controllers and said:

"Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect. Somewhere, somehow, we screwed up. It could have been the design, build, or test. Whatever it was we should have caught it."

Kranz and his people (as well as everyone else on the space program) took responsibility for their actions and went on to amazing successes. We crawled out the cradle of this home we call earth and explored another world. Twelve men in all walked on the moon. Also, three astronauts were brought back home safely from the brink of disaster in Apollo 13. We had truly gone where no man had gone before.

These were human beings, and they are the best of the best. Not an Astronaut was lost during any of the following Apollo missions. The tragedy on the pad drove the commitment of everyone on the space program to an entirely new level. As a matter of fact, not a man was lost once they left earth on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

Gene Kranz sums up how he gained his skills to be a top flight director when he said:

"The flight director's ultimate training comes at the console, working real problems, facing the risks, making irrevocable decisions."


This book belongs on any bookshelf, but not to be looked at, but to be read and understood. We all have the makings of greatness, we just have to take responsibility for our actions and do the very best we know how. What other amazing things can we accomplish as a species if we have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment, and passion?

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Absolutely Brilliant, 28 Jun 2007
Eugene Kranz is an unsung hero. Maybe most people are familiar with Ed Harris's portrayal of him in Apollo 13 but the man was around from the beginning of the space programme. We've already forgetten, all too easily, what an astonishing achievement NASA completed with the space programme in terms of technology. We forget also that the staff there literally invented the rules as they went along. But apart from all the engineering and science, there is the incredible way that they stood up to the pressure not just on the Apollo 13 mission but in other situations. In the thick of it all is Eugene Kranz. These days people in the UK are stupid enough to vote Queenie and Robbie Williams as the most important Britains ever. As an antidote read this and focus on someone who deserves our admiration.

Fascinating behind the scenes account, 06 Apr 2006
Gene Kranz was one of the original band of NASA flight directors, some readers may remember he was played by a white waistcoat-wearing Ed Harris in the film about Apollo 13. This book is for those of us that are slightly geeky with regards to the Space Race in as far as this is a technical and detailed account of what took place in the Mission Control Room while the mission was in progress. It is not a riveting read by any stretch of the imagination but it does offer the interested reader another take Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Gene Kranz is unashamedly patriotic and God-fearing with a slight propensity to describe almost all of his colleagues as all American heroes. Nevertheless, afficionados of this era of space exploration will find a lot in this book.

THE book, 02 Dec 2005
I have read a lot of books about Apollo but this is the one i keep turning back to. Gene Krantz is simply a fascinating figure and his job in Mission Control the most exiting there was - Period.... Krantz writes with the passion that is burning within every good engineer and he writes in an easily readable style, yes there are a lot of tecnical "mumbo jumbo" in the book but the story is easily understood nevertheless. If you only want to read one book about Apollo it should probably be "Apollo, the Race to the moon" by Murray/Cox but when you've read that one and gotten hooked, this one would be am obvious number two.

A book that had to be written, 16 Jul 2003
This excellent volume provides an insight into the project development and team building that supported the Mercury, Geminii and Apollo programmes.

Gene Kranz had an overwhelming commitment to his role within Mission Control but the narrative also reveals his ability to nurture those who followed him and the level of admiration he felt for everyone involved in the space programme. The details of mission planning and the emotions felt in times of celebration and tragedy are well docmented.

As a man, Kranz comes across as honest, genuine and loyal - he looks for the good in everyone.

To paraphrase Charlie Duke, the astronauts could not have made their spectacular journeys without the support of those on the ground - this book serves to illustrates the truth of this beyond doubt.

The best Apollo book I've read - impossible to put down, 22 Oct 2008
I've read many books about the Apollo program and have to agree with other reviewers that Michael Collins' account is by far the most enjoyable read and shows the astronaut who has spent years in the shadow of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to be a very intelligent, witty and likeable story teller. Absolutely brilliant!

For readers who want to see more of this famously illusive astronaut, he takes a leading role (along with his infectious personality) in the film In The Shadow Of The Moon [2007]

Simply the Best, 17 Oct 2008
I agree with the other reviews that rate this as the best Apollo book. Collins was there on the first moon landing mission and, unusually for an astronaut, he has the skills of a top class professional writer to be able to communicate the experience. He also explains the technicalities of spaceflight in an accessible way. A really outstanding book.

Top of the pyramid, 25 Jul 2008
Collins' book is not ghost-written, but in his own voice. His homely vivid language brings accessibly to life the incredible detail in the technology and training behind his test-pilot career in the air and in space. It gives an idea of what it must have been like 'to be there'. He modestly sees himself at the top of a pyramid of thousands of people working to make the moon accessible. He finishes thinking thoughtfully of the impact on his fellow astronauts, and of Apollo's place in history. I wish I'd read it years ago!

Brilliant - even from an a beginners point of view!!, 14 Jul 2008
I have recently gained an interest in space and in particular the lunar landings. The previous reviews encouraged me to buy this and I'm glad I did. This book was a little technical at times and although I sometimes didn't quite understand the exact details - I got the general idea and it certainly didn't stop me from rating it top marks. You really do get a true, honest account from Michael Collins and he gives credit where credit is due to the other astronauts. I am now half way through Andrew Chalkins "Man on the Moon" which is so far excellent also.

Superb book, 02 Jul 2008
This is a great read for anyone with even a slight interest in Space flight and the whole 1960's Space race involving the Gemini and Apollo programs. Collins has a very good style of writing which is warm and well informed but easy to understand he doesn't complicate the Technical stuff too much, thus making it easier to grasp.

Overall it fully deserves the rating of 5 stars.

Interested in Space flight ? Then buy this book.



Brilliant. Could not put it down., 01 Sep 2008
I was 20 years old when Neil Armstrong stepped on to the Lunar susface.
I have been interested in NASA and the space program ever since.
I always wanted a single book or film that would cover the whole Apollo program from 1 to 17.This is it.You dont have to be technically minded to be captivated by this book, it is very easily readable, I was unable to put it down and I will surely read it again in the future it is that type of book.
I can not recommend it highly enough for anybody even remotely interested in the space program.
10 out of 10 Super

These Men dared to sit on top of Rockets!, 27 Aug 2008
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!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond (Thorndike Paperback Bestsellers)

The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space


Too good for words, 26 Jul 2008
I must have read this about seven or eight times now, and I just know I will again in the future. The author took on a real challenge when it comes to the chronological events of Project Apollo, and was able to condense it perfectly into an easy narrative, thankfully dodging the absolute minefield of unnecessary technical details. This is still the one I recommend to the conspiracy theorists as well...!

Beautiful,Stunning,enthraling., 15 Apr 2008
Only read 31 pages so far but I know that this book is just a classic,so descriptive that you feel as if you are there during all of the events,it enhances my feelings about those pioneering,heroic supermen of my youth.I have also ordered the updated version which is the 5oth anniversary edition, it is so good.

Simply the best book I've ever read, 30 Dec 2007
Which includes a lot of books about the Apollo program. It really is that good.

Solid science and thoroughly enjoyable, 28 Oct 2008
Phil Plait once again manages to convey a hefty dose of solid scientific knowledge in an entertaining and real page-turner fashion. Covering pretty much every sci-fi end-of-the-world threat from outer space he educates and entertains with stories of supernovae, black holes, gamma bursts and the like.

Along with the scientific explanations there is a common thread of pragmatic risk appraisal without the usual sensationalism. Even the benefits of many of the risks are discussed, such as the generation of heavier elements by supernovae.

Death from the Skies is both enjoyable and educational, and you are unlikely to be disappointed.

A Big Book About a Big Man, 17 Oct 2008
In two hundred years time very few people now alive will be routinely known and their names and deeds recalled. Only historians will be be familiar with the names of pygmies such as Bush and Blair. However, we live in a culture which immortalises great explorers - Magellan, Columbus, Cook, Amundsen, Hillary & Tenzing Norgay and many others. In our time Neil Armstrong joined this exclusive group along with Yuri Gagarin.

I would go so far as to say that the Apollo mission to the moon was the defining cultural statement of identity made by mankind in the second half of the twentieth century. It was our equivalent of building stonehenge, the great wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, the great mediaeval cathedrals, the voyages of discovery in small wooden ships and the great Victorian engineering achievements. It set down a mark for future generations to get a measure of us. It was as if we were saying to posterity 'look at this and wonder at us that we could do this in our time. This is the most difficult thing we can do at this time. Judge us by this.'

Whilst Apollo was an immense engineering and scientific project it was also one of the greatest human adventures of modern times. And at the centre of this adventure was an enigma, Neil Armstrong. Armstrong is a quiet man from Ohio who developed an early interest in aviation that takes him into the military and the Korean war. Later he becomes a brilliant test pilot and this leads to his involvement with the space programme. It is extraordinary that this is the first full biography that has been written about Armstrong with his co-operation. It is quite amusing that in an extrovert nation such as the US, which seems to like its super heroes to be big, loud, brash and in your face, Armstrong comes across as introverted and self-contained with no interest at all in celebrity or fame. He has spent most of his post Apollo life living quietly on a farm in Ohio.

I admire the author's perseverance in persuading Armstrong to co-operate in the first place as this was evidently not easy. Despite all the difficulties he has produced a big and worthy book. It's clear, reading between the lines, that Armstrong was not the easiest man to work with and his co-operation was less than total. Nevertheless, this is the best book you're ever going to get about Neil Armstrong. If you are interested in his life and remarkable achievements this is the one to buy.

Good but perhaps not perfect, 17 Oct 2007
Having looked forward to a 'life of Neil Armstrong book' for most of my life being a real Apollo fan. I did enjoy reading First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong. This book is well researched, has some good pictures and for the first time the reader can learn about the 'real Neil Armstrong'. There is much more to Mr.Armstrong than being the first man on the moon.

A great read - will be liked by space buffs, maybe a little dry for those who are not!



This should be a fascinating book..., 08 Aug 2007
...but is by far and way the worst written book I have read in years. I cannot fathom how anyone can make the story of travelling and landing on the moon so uninteresting. There is page after page after page of irrelevant data which leaves you feeling cheated of precious time.

I have no doubt this is an incredibly well researched book, but so is an encyclopedia and I have no interest in reading one from cover to cover.

Award Winning!, 30 Dec 2006
This book has just earned the title of "Outstanding Academic Book" of 2006, awarded by CHOICE magazine and the American Library Association. It has also won the top book award of the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. As Walter Cronkite says on the cover of the book, it is "a book for all time."

Plane Spotter's Delight, 09 Dec 2006
Neil's forebears came from Scotland, but none was William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, or Bonny Prince Charley.

When Neil was at Primary school it is thought that, on occasions, he may have got a gold star. But there is no documentation on the matter.

A nasty man called Yeager wrote some stories about Neil but they were probably not what occurred.

A chap called Wolfe wrote a book which exaggerated a lot of things and some of them weren't how Neil remembers them.

Neil flew a lot of state of the art planes, sometimes for hours on end, and he did a lot of take offs and landings, and all his bosses thought he was an OK guy, most of the time.

If you are a plane spotter or an insomniac you will love this book.


Be Tough and Competent!, 27 Aug 2008
Gene Kranz does an amazing of showing what people can do if they have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment and passion.

The book allows us to see Kranz's perspective as flight controller, (and later flight director) during his tenure on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs and beyond.

From the tremendous successes, to the gut wrenching failures, to the heroism, to the practical jokes, this book has it all. Gene Kranz was a key player in helping to create a culture of Tough and Competent flight controllers who had discipline and morale. They knew the true meaning of teamwork.

One of the stories that impressed me most was after the devastating tragedy of the Apollo 1. A fire on the pad killed Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffe while they were training in the capsule. Afterwards Kranz got in front of his flight controllers and said:

"Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect. Somewhere, somehow, we screwed up. It could have been the design, build, or test. Whatever it was we should have caught it."

Kranz and his people (as well as everyone else on the space program) took responsibility for their actions and went on to amazing successes. We crawled out the cradle of this home we call earth and explored another world. Twelve men in all walked on the moon. Also, three astronauts were brought back home safely from the brink of disaster in Apollo 13. We had truly gone where no man had gone before.

These were human beings, and they are the best of the best. Not an Astronaut was lost during any of the following Apollo missions. The tragedy on the pad drove the commitment of everyone on the space program to an entirely new level. As a matter of fact, not a man was lost once they left earth on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

Gene Kranz sums up how he gained his skills to be a top flight director when he said:

"The flight director's ultimate training comes at the console, working real problems, facing the risks, making irrevocable decisions."


This book belongs on any bookshelf, but not to be looked at, but to be read and understood. We all have the makings of greatness, we just have to take responsibility for our actions and do the very best we know how. What other amazing things can we accomplish as a species if we have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment, and passion?

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Absolutely Brilliant, 28 Jun 2007
Eugene Kranz is an unsung hero. Maybe most people are familiar with Ed Harris's portrayal of him in Apollo 13 but the man was around from the beginning of the space programme. We've already forgetten, all too easily, what an astonishing achievement NASA completed with the space programme in terms of technology. We forget also that the staff there literally invented the rules as they went along. But apart from all the engineering and science, there is the incredible way that they stood up to the pressure not just on the Apollo 13 mission but in other situations. In the thick of it all is Eugene Kranz. These days people in the UK are stupid enough to vote Queenie and Robbie Williams as the most important Britains ever. As an antidote read this and focus on someone who deserves our admiration.

Fascinating behind the scenes account, 06 Apr 2006
Gene Kranz was one of the original band of NASA flight directors, some readers may remember he was played by a white waistcoat-wearing Ed Harris in the film about Apollo 13. This book is for those of us that are slightly geeky with regards to the Space Race in as far as this is a technical and detailed account of what took place in the Mission Control Room while the mission was in progress. It is not a riveting read by any stretch of the imagination but it does offer the interested reader another take Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Gene Kranz is unashamedly patriotic and God-fearing with a slight propensity to describe almost all of his colleagues as all American heroes. Nevertheless, afficionados of this era of space exploration will find a lot in this book.

THE book, 02 Dec 2005
I have read a lot of books about Apollo but this is the one i keep turning back to. Gene Krantz is simply a fascinating figure and his job in Mission Control the most exiting there was - Period.... Krantz writes with the passion that is burning within every good engineer and he writes in an easily readable style, yes there are a lot of tecnical "mumbo jumbo" in the book but the story is easily understood nevertheless. If you only want to read one book about Apollo it should probably be "Apollo, the Race to the moon" by Murray/Cox but when you've read that one and gotten hooked, this one would be am obvious number two.

A book that had to be written, 16 Jul 2003
This excellent volume provides an insight into the project development and team building that supported the Mercury, Geminii and Apollo programmes.

Gene Kranz had an overwhelming commitment to his role within Mission Control but the narrative also reveals his ability to nurture those who followed him and the level of admiration he felt for everyone involved in the space programme. The details of mission planning and the emotions felt in times of celebration and tragedy are well docmented.

As a man, Kranz comes across as honest, genuine and loyal - he looks for the good in everyone.

To paraphrase Charlie Duke, the astronauts could not have made their spectacular journeys without the support of those on the ground - this book serves to illustrates the truth of this beyond doubt.

The best Apollo book I've read - impossible to put down, 22 Oct 2008
I've read many books about the Apollo program and have to agree with other reviewers that Michael Collins' account is by far the most enjoyable read and shows the astronaut who has spent years in the shadow of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to be a very intelligent, witty and likeable story teller. Absolutely brilliant!

For readers who want to see more of this famously illusive astronaut, he takes a leading role (along with his infectious personality) in the film In The Shadow Of The Moon [2007]

Simply the Best, 17 Oct 2008
I agree with the other reviews that rate this as the best Apollo book. Collins was there on the first moon landing mission and, unusually for an astronaut, he has the skills of a top class professional writer to be able to communicate the experience. He also explains the technicalities of spaceflight in an accessible way. A really outstanding book.

Top of the pyramid, 25 Jul 2008
Collins' book is not ghost-written, but in his own voice. His homely vivid language brings accessibly to life the incredible detail in the technology and training behind his test-pilot career in the air and in space. It gives an idea of what it must have been like 'to be there'. He modestly sees himself at the top of a pyramid of thousands of people working to make the moon accessible. He finishes thinking thoughtfully of the impact on his fellow astronauts, and of Apollo's place in history. I wish I'd read it years ago!

Brilliant - even from an a beginners point of view!!, 14 Jul 2008
I have recently gained an interest in space and in particular the lunar landings. The previous reviews encouraged me to buy this and I'm glad I did. This book was a little technical at times and although I sometimes didn't quite understand the exact details - I got the general idea and it certainly didn't stop me from rating it top marks. You really do get a true, honest account from Michael Collins and he gives credit where credit is due to the other astronauts. I am now half way through Andrew Chalkins "Man on the Moon" which is so far excellent also.

Superb book, 02 Jul 2008
This is a great read for anyone with even a slight interest in Space flight and the whole 1960's Space race involving the Gemini and Apollo programs. Collins has a very good style of writing which is warm and well informed but easy to understand he doesn't complicate the Technical stuff too much, thus making it easier to grasp.

Overall it fully deserves the rating of 5 stars.

Interested in Space flight ? Then buy this book.



Brilliant. Could not put it down., 01 Sep 2008
I was 20 years old when Neil Armstrong stepped on to the Lunar susface.
I have been interested in NASA and the space program ever since.
I always wanted a single book or film that would cover the whole Apollo program from 1 to 17.This is it.You dont have to be technically minded to be captivated by this book, it is very easily readable, I was unable to put it down and I will surely read it again in the future it is that type of book.
I can not recommend it highly enough for anybody even remotely interested in the space program.
10 out of 10 Super

These Men dared to sit on top of Rockets!, 27 Aug 2008
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!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond (Thorndike Paperback Bestsellers)

The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space


Too good for words, 26 Jul 2008
I must have read this about seven or eight times now, and I just know I will again in the future. The author took on a real challenge when it comes to the chronological events of Project Apollo, and was able to condense it perfectly into an easy narrative, thankfully dodging the absolute minefield of unnecessary technical details. This is still the one I recommend to the conspiracy theorists as well...!

Beautiful,Stunning,enthraling., 15 Apr 2008
Only read 31 pages so far but I know that this book is just a classic,so descriptive that you feel as if you are there during all of the events,it enhances my feelings about those pioneering,heroic supermen of my youth.I have also ordered the updated version which is the 5oth anniversary edition, it is so good.

Simply the best book I've ever read, 30 Dec 2007
Which includes a lot of books about the Apollo program. It really is that good.

A loon writes..., 02 Nov 2008
I've read many books about UFOs and the like, and have considerable sympathy for the subject. This, however, is a rather embarrassing example of lunatic fringe meets conspiracy theory.

The main author, one Richard Hoagland, writes of himself in the third person throughout, as if giving a gloss of objectivity, yet it is a self-serving document, recounting the history of his brilliant ideas and his lame, biased or malign detractors, peppered with overuse of italics and shudder quotes in case you don't get the message.

But it is the wild extrapolations from extremely flimsy evidence that make this book just embarrassing and annoying to read. For Hoagland, blurry photographs of the Moon or Mars are a kind of Rorschach inkblot test: to his eye, ordinary rocks are 'mechanical debris' from some advanced but now-extinct interplanetary civilization. A rock with two dents in it is a 'robot's head' (and I suspect that a significant proportion of rocks look more like a robot's head than the example we are given). Mountains are 'pyramids'; a blurry row of rocks is a 'sphinx'. Inevitably, the not particularly face-like 'Face on Mars' gets much attention. These objects are rather more irregular than an advanced civilization ought to be able to produce - actually they look just like rocks and mountains - but this of course is explained by 'erosion' (even though no erosion takes place on the moon, not having an atmosphere or surface water).

Add to this a heavy dose of unconvincing geometry: draw enough straight lines on a photograph and you find some of them seem to connect these mysterious objects - or rather, they do if you draw enough lines and make enough use of wiggle room, such as saying a line connects to an object when actually it goes a bit to the side. (Ley lines, anyone?)

Then measure the angles produced, and with a bit more jiggling you can come up with something close to numbers that don't have any mathematical significance, like, say, e/pi, or e/root 5 - but why not more obvious constants like e or 5? Well, we are told, this is obviously an alien 'message' about hyperdimensional physics which tells us that the planets all contain a fourth-dimensional spinning pyramid or something...

Other photographs of the moon landings have even more bizarre interpretations: anything looking like a scratch on the negative is actually a 'buttress' supporting one of many giant glass domes over craters; these domes are naturally invisible in the photos (being made of glass), but hey, they're obviously there, aren't they? (Hoagland's inability to get any scientific journals to publish such results are naturally all part of the conspiracy.)

But wait, there are more dots to be connected. It's all something to do with not only the Masons, but also the Nazis (I kid you not). As shown by all kinds of things which turn out to be mysteriously symbolic: e.g. a particular moon launch occurs on the anniversary of Hitler's birthday (a date which after all only arises once every year). Quite why NASA would choose a launch date on such a cryptic yet symbolic basis, rather than - say - to do with the relative position of the earth and moon, is not clear; perhaps to send a secret message? To whom, and why? Some NASA announcement occurs three years to the day after JFK's assassination - all very suspicious and symbolic, so clearly is another secret message telling us we're-not-quite-sure-what. After all, the anniversary of JFK's assassination only comes round every year. (Come to think of it, isn't almost every day the anniversary of some more or less important historical event?)

NASA also uses strange symbolism in its official patches for space suits etc - for example, the Apollo program patch has a big letter A on it, secretly denoting (in the mind of Hoagland) not Apollo but Asar, an ancient Egyptian word for Osiris, i.e. the constellation Orion, which has something important to do with Egyptian mythology and hence pyramids and YOU SEE HOW IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

Quite how this book made it to the New York Times bestseller list is a mystery to me, and one rather more disturbing than the contents of this deranged and tedious book.

Intriguing, uncovers many layers of Conspiracy..., 11 Aug 2008
Richard Hoagland was present at JPL in 1969 as the crew of Apollo eleven was on it's way back to Earth. He saw a shady character, accompanied by high ranking NASA officials, distribute leaflets during a press conference stating that the entire moon landing had been faked on a soundstage in Nevada. This, according to Hoagland, was the genesis of the Apollo Conspiracy mythos. Logically this would make the Apollo Conspiracy a Hoax Hoax. Therefore one cannot help wondering what a Hoax Hoax Hoax would be.

Hoagland himself quotes one of his intelligence sources as saying that, "the lie is different at every level". There is no doubt that NASA is concealing something because many of the photographic materials it supplies are obviously tampered with. Hoagland states that NASA (Never A Staight Answer!) is a military organisation rather than as most people think, a civilian one. Therefore they are answerable only to the Pentagon and not to the taxpayer.

Hoagland is committed to the ancient astronauts idea. He believes that the ruins he has detected on the Moon and Mars, are many thousands of years old and probably pre- date human civilization on Earth. He apparently disregards the evidence that humans still interact with with extra- terrestrials. There is no mention in his book of the fact that the Moon, and possibly the entire solar system were created, from basic planetery raw materials, by beings far beyond our technological capacity, beings for whom time means nothing. I believe therefore that everything in our environment is controlled by these entities, whom humans often mistake for Gods.

NASA must have known since it's inception that the moon is artificial, as it's period of orbit is exactly equal to it's period of rotation; also it covers the Sun exactly during solar eclipses. I am convinced that Socrates knew this. I do not agree with Hoagland that there has been only one "time before", there have probably been many; Humankind has reached out to other worlds in the past, and may not actually originate on Earth.

In many of the Apollo photographs of the Moon, Hoagland sees huge glass domes reaching high above the lunar surface, and the remains of supporting rebars, I cannot say that I see this from the reproductions in the book, but there do seem to be atifacts and "arcology" there. Perhaps there are still humans or extra- terrestrials living within the moon, based on it's far side.

Hoagland believes in the notorious "Face on Mars". Of course, if it is truly artificial, then it certainly does not resemble any monolith on Earth, being over a mile in length and apparently honeycombed with rooms and walls; The Face itself is only visible from a high altitude. At the end of the book there are some reproductions of photographs taken by the recent Mars Reconnaissance Orbitor which according to Hoagland reveal an ancient "Headquarters" in The Face. I find it surprising that the orbital photos from Mars appear to be of higher resolution than those from the Moon.



D+ poor effort, must try harder.., 19 Apr 2008
I think the face on mars looks like a collapsed hill, and just a trick of light. The author is obsessed by it. All this astonishing alien artifacts on the moon and mars are present within Richard Hoagland's imagination, and are not present in any of the pictures. What the re-examination of the lunar landing photos probably show is the original hidden background detail of the inside of the studio where they filmed the lunar landings. There's a colour photo of the moon in this book, taken from the Apollo space craft, and according to the author, it's evidence of millions of domes of glass on the moon, as it shows a glow around the moon, which is not possible from space. The more obvious explanation for this is that the photo was taken from a telescope on the earth, and then claimed for the Apollo astronauts.
What is proven in this book is that NASA are habitual liers, and have been covering up something which is far more interesting...evidence of life on mars. What the agenda is, is not explored very well here.
The first chapters about multi-dimentional space is out of the scope for a lay-person and is a stuggle to get through.
What would make for a much better book, by another author, would be an exploration of the mars anomalies, the green-blue sky which NASA have tweeked into red, and fossil evidence on mars. Also an investigation into why NASA are compelled to lie about everything, and why should anyone trust anything they say, including that they went to the moon, when there is so much evidence to show that they didn't, and which Hoagland claims he and his associates have proved to be a false conspiracy, and he hasn't proved it at all. If NASA can fake the colours of mars, why cant they fake the supposed robot head as well, and anything else they feel like?

"Let's go fly a kite..", 08 Mar 2008
"up through the atmosphere, up where the air is clear". Quoting Mary Poppins may be a strange way to begin a review but in my opinion this author has been up where the air is clear (and perhaps a bit too thin) for far too long.
Every single half-baked conspiracy is covered in torturous depth with pictures that (try as I might) failed to convince me there are glass cities on the moon.
If you are a real paranoid X-Files freak, this is the book for you!

Don't waste your money ..., 06 Mar 2008
Possibly the worst book I have bought in many a year ... lets take every rumor ... every half truth ... every little piece of conspiracy theory, sprinkle over some numerology, some masonic interference and present it as a scientific study!

If this is what goes on at NASA then they wouldn't be able to open the doors in the morning never mind put a man on the moon ...

buy only if you have been visited by little green men ... or men in white coats!

Solid science and thoroughly enjoyable, 28 Oct 2008
Phil Plait once again manages to convey a hefty dose of solid scientific knowledge in an entertaining and real page-turner fashion. Covering pretty much every sci-fi end-of-the-world threat from outer space he educates and entertains with stories of supernovae, black holes, gamma bursts and the like.

Along with the scientific explanations there is a common thread of pragmatic risk appraisal without the usual sensationalism. Even the benefits of many of the risks are discussed, such as the generation of heavier elements by supernovae.

Death from the Skies is both enjoyable and educational, and you are unlikely to be disappointed.

A Big Book About a Big Man, 17 Oct 2008
In two hundred years time very few people now alive will be routinely known and their names and deeds recalled. Only historians will be be familiar with the names of pygmies such as Bush and Blair. However, we live in a culture which immortalises great explorers - Magellan, Columbus, Cook, Amundsen, Hillary & Tenzing Norgay and many others. In our time Neil Armstrong joined this exclusive group along with Yuri Gagarin.

I would go so far as to say that the Apollo mission to the moon was the defining cultural statement of identity made by mankind in the second half of the twentieth century. It was our equivalent of building stonehenge, the great wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, the great mediaeval cathedrals, the voyages of discovery in small wooden ships and the great Victorian engineering achievements. It set down a mark for future generations to get a measure of us. It was as if we were saying to posterity 'look at this and wonder at us that we could do this in our time. This is the most difficult thing we can do at this time. Judge us by this.'

Whilst Apollo was an immense engineering and scientific project it was also one of the greatest human adventures of modern times. And at the centre of this adventure was an enigma, Neil Armstrong. Armstrong is a quiet man from Ohio who developed an early interest in aviation that takes him into the military and the Korean war. Later he becomes a brilliant test pilot and this leads to his involvement with the space programme. It is extraordinary that this is the first full biography that has been written about Armstrong with his co-operation. It is quite amusing that in an extrovert nation such as the US, which seems to like its super heroes to be big, loud, brash and in your face, Armstrong comes across as introverted and self-contained with no interest at all in celebrity or fame. He has spent most of his post Apollo life living quietly on a farm in Ohio.

I admire the author's perseverance in persuading Armstrong to co-operate in the first place as this was evidently not easy. Despite all the difficulties he has produced a big and worthy book. It's clear, reading between the lines, that Armstrong was not the easiest man to work with and his co-operation was less than total. Nevertheless, this is the best book you're ever going to get about Neil Armstrong. If you are interested in his life and remarkable achievements this is the one to buy.

Good but perhaps not perfect, 17 Oct 2007
Having looked forward to a 'life of Neil Armstrong book' for most of my life being a real Apollo fan. I did enjoy reading First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong. This book is well researched, has some good pictures and for the first time the reader can learn about the 'real Neil Armstrong'. There is much more to Mr.Armstrong than being the first man on the moon.

A great read - will be liked by space buffs, maybe a little dry for those who are not!



This should be a fascinating book..., 08 Aug 2007
...but is by far and way the worst written book I have read in years. I cannot fathom how anyone can make the story of travelling and landing on the moon so uninteresting. There is page after page after page of irrelevant data which leaves you feeling cheated of precious time.

I have no doubt this is an incredibly well researched book, but so is an encyclopedia and I have no interest in reading one from cover to cover.

Award Winning!, 30 Dec 2006
This book has just earned the title of "Outstanding Academic Book" of 2006, awarded by CHOICE magazine and the American Library Association. It has also won the top book award of the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. As Walter Cronkite says on the cover of the book, it is "a book for all time."

Plane Spotter's Delight, 09 Dec 2006
Neil's forebears came from Scotland, but none was William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, or Bonny Prince Charley.

When Neil was at Primary school it is thought that, on occasions, he may have got a gold star. But there is no documentation on the matter.

A nasty man called Yeager wrote some stories about Neil but they were probably not what occurred.

A chap called Wolfe wrote a book which exaggerated a lot of things and some of them weren't how Neil remembers them.

Neil flew a lot of state of the art planes, sometimes for hours on end, and he did a lot of take offs and landings, and all his bosses thought he was an OK guy, most of the time.

If you are a plane spotter or an insomniac you will love this book.


Be Tough and Competent!, 27 Aug 2008
Gene Kranz does an amazing of showing what people can do if they have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment and passion.

The book allows us to see Kranz's perspective as flight controller, (and later flight director) during his tenure on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs and beyond.

From the tremendous successes, to the gut wrenching failures, to the heroism, to the practical jokes, this book has it all. Gene Kranz was a key player in helping to create a culture of Tough and Competent flight controllers who had discipline and morale. They knew the true meaning of teamwork.

One of the stories that impressed me most was after the devastating tragedy of the Apollo 1. A fire on the pad killed Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffe while they were training in the capsule. Afterwards Kranz got in front of his flight controllers and said:

"Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect. Somewhere, somehow, we screwed up. It could have been the design, build, or test. Whatever it was we should have caught it."

Kranz and his people (as well as everyone else on the space program) took responsibility for their actions and went on to amazing successes. We crawled out the cradle of this home we call earth and explored another world. Twelve men in all walked on the moon. Also, three astronauts were brought back home safely from the brink of disaster in Apollo 13. We had truly gone where no man had gone before.

These were human beings, and they are the best of the best. Not an Astronaut was lost during any of the following Apollo missions. The tragedy on the pad drove the commitment of everyone on the space program to an entirely new level. As a matter of fact, not a man was lost once they left earth on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

Gene Kranz sums up how he gained his skills to be a top flight director when he said:

"The flight director's ultimate training comes at the console, working real problems, facing the risks, making irrevocable decisions."


This book belongs on any bookshelf, but not to be looked at, but to be read and understood. We all have the makings of greatness, we just have to take responsibility for our actions and do the very best we know how. What other amazing things can we accomplish as a species if we have the right leadership, teamwork, commitment, and passion?

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Absolutely Brilliant, 28 Jun 2007
Eugene Kranz is an unsung hero. Maybe most people are familiar with Ed Harris's portrayal of him in Apollo 13 but the man was around from the beginning of the space programme. We've already forgetten, all too easily, what an astonishing achievement NASA completed with the space programme in terms of technology. We forget also that the staff there literally invented the rules as they went along. But apart from all the engineering and science, there is the incredible way that they stood up to the pressure not just on the Apollo 13 mission but in other situations. In the thick of it all is Eugene Kranz. These days people in the UK are stupid enough to vote Queenie and Robbie Williams as the most important Britains ever. As an antidote read this and focus on someone who deserves our admiration.

Fascinating behind the scenes account, 06 Apr 2006
Gene Kranz was one of the original band of NASA flight directors, some readers may remember he was played by a white waistcoat-wearing Ed Harris in the film about Apollo 13. This book is for those of us that are slightly geeky with regards to the Space Race in as far as this is a technical and detailed account of what took place in the Mission Control Room while the mission was in progress. It is not a riveting read by any stretch of the imagination but it does offer the interested reader another take Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Gene Kranz is unashamedly patriotic and God-fearing with a slight propensity to describe almost all of his colleagues as all American heroes. Nevertheless, afficionados of this era of space exploration will find a lot in this book.

THE book, 02 Dec 2005
I have read a lot of books about Apollo but this is the one i keep turning back to. Gene Krantz is simply a fascinating figure and his job in Mission Control the most exiting there was - Period.... Krantz writes with the passion that is burning within every good engineer and he writes in an easily readable style, yes there are a lot of tecnical "mumbo jumbo" in the book but the story is easily understood nevertheless. If you only want to read one book about Apollo it should probably be "Apollo, the Race to the moon" by Murray/Cox but when you've read that one and gotten hooked, this one would be am obvious number two.

A book that had to be written, 16 Jul 2003
This excellent volume provides an insight into the project development and team building that supported the Mercury, Geminii and Apollo programmes.

Gene Kranz had an overwhelming commitment to his role within Mission Control but the narrative also reveals his ability to nurture those who followed him and the level of admiration he felt for everyone involved in the space programme. The details of mission planning and the emotions felt in times of celebration and tragedy are well docmented.

As a man, Kranz comes across as honest, genuine and loyal - he looks for the good in everyone.

To paraphrase Charlie Duke, the astronauts could not have made their spectacular journeys without the support of those on the ground - this book serves to illustrates the truth of this beyond doubt.

The best Apollo book I've read - impossible to put down, 22 Oct 2008
I've read many books about the Apollo program and have to agree with other reviewers that Michael Collins' account is by far the most enjoyable read and shows the astronaut who has spent years in the shadow of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to be a very intelligent, witty and likeable story teller. Absolutely brilliant!

For readers who want to see more of this famously illusive astronaut, he takes a leading role (along with his infectious personality) in the film In The Shadow Of The Moon [2007]

Simply the Best, 17 Oct 2008
I agree with the other reviews that rate this as the best Apollo book. Collins was there on the first moon landing mission and, unusually for an astronaut, he has the skills of a top class professional writer to be able to communicate the experience. He also explains the technicalities of spaceflight in an accessible way. A really outstanding book.

Top of the pyramid, 25 Jul 2008
Collins' book is not ghost-written, but in his own voice. His homely vivid language brings accessibly to life the incredible detail in the technology and training behind his test-pilot career in the air and in space. It gives an idea of what it must have been like 'to be there'. He modestly sees himself at the top of a pyramid of thousands of people working to make the moon accessible. He finishes thinking thoughtfully of the impact on his fellow astronauts, and of Apollo's place in history. I wish I'd read it years ago!

Brilliant - even from an a beginners point of view!!, 14 Jul 2008
I have recently gained an interest in space and in particular the lunar landings. The previous reviews encouraged me to buy this and I'm glad I did. This book was a little technical at times and although I sometimes didn't quite understand the exact details - I got the general idea and it certainly didn't stop me from rating it top marks. You really do get a true, honest account from Michael Collins and he gives credit where credit is due to the other astronauts. I am now half way through Andrew Chalkins "Man on the Moon" which is so far excellent also.

Superb book, 02 Jul 2008
This is a great read for anyone with even a slight interest in Space flight and the whole 1960's Space race involving the Gemini and Apollo programs. Collins has a very good style of writing which is warm and well informed but easy to understand he doesn't complicate the Technical stuff too much, thus making it easier to grasp.

Overall it fully deserves the rating of 5 stars.

Interested in Space flight ? Then buy this book.



Brilliant. Could not put it down., 01 Sep 2008
I was 20 years old when Neil Armstrong stepped on to the Lunar susface.
I have been interested in NASA and the space program ever since.
I always wanted a single book or film that would cover the whole Apollo program from 1 to 17.This is it.You dont have to be technically minded to be captivated by this book, it is very easily readable, I was unable to put it down and I will surely read it again in the future it is that type of book.
I can not recommend it highly enough for anybody even remotely interested in the space program.
10 out of 10 Super

These Men dared to sit on top of Rockets!, 27 Aug 2008
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!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide To: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond (Thorndike Paperback Bestsellers)

The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space


Too good for words, 26 Jul 2008
I must have read this about seven or eight times now, and I just know I will again in the future. The author took on a real challenge when it comes to the chronological events of Project Apollo, and was able to condense it perfectly into an easy narrative, thankfully dodging the absolute minefield of unnecessary technical details. This is still the one I recommend to the conspiracy theorists as well...!

Beautiful,Stunning,enthraling., 15 Apr 2008
Only read 31 pages so far but I know that this book is just a classic,so descriptive that you feel as if you are there during all of the events,it enhances my feelings about those pioneering,heroic supermen of my youth.I have also ordered the updated version which is the 5oth anniversary edition, it is so good.

Simply the best book I've ever read, 30 Dec 2007
Which includes a lot of books about the Apollo program. It really is that good.

A loon writes..., 02 Nov 2008
I've read many books about UFOs and the like, and have considerable sympathy for the subject. This, however, is a rather embarrassing example of lunatic fringe meets conspiracy theory.

The main author, one Richard Hoagland, writes of himself in the third person throughout, as if giving a gloss of objectivity, yet it is a self-serving document, recounting the history of his brilliant ideas and his lame, biased or malign detractors, peppered with overuse of italics and shudder quotes in case you don't get the message.

But it is the wild extrapolations from extremely flimsy evidence that make this book just embarrassing and annoying to read. For Hoagland, blurry photographs of the Moon or Mars are a kind of Rorschach inkblot test: to his eye, ordinary rocks are 'mechanical debris' from some advanced but now-extinct interplanetary civilization. A rock with two dents in it is a 'robot's head' (and I suspect that a significant proportion of rocks look more like a robot's head than the example we are given). Mountains are 'pyramids'; a blurry row of rocks is a 'sphinx'. Inevitably, the not particularly face-like 'Face on Mars' gets much attention. These objects are rather more irregular than an advanced civilization ought to be able to produce - actually they look just like rocks and mountains - but this of course is explained by 'erosion' (even though no erosion takes place on the moon, not having an atmosphere or surface water).

Add to this a heavy dose of unconvincing geometry: draw enough straight lines on a photograph and you find some of them seem to connect these mysterious objects - or rather, they do if you draw enough lines and make enough use of wiggle room, such as saying a line