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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.



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.

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.

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.



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.


To be an Airline Pilot by Andrew Cook., 30 Oct 2006
A brilliant book and a must for anyone wanting to be a pilot! I have spent so much time trying to find out about how to become a commercial pilot and have received so many conflicting views that I was totally confused! I thought I would try this book and think it is excellent. It's laid out very well, is easy to read and has given me a good idea of where to train, how I can raise the finance to do it, what to expect, what I will be expected to learn and some very useful tips on getting a job at the end of it all.
Thank you Andrew, your words have helped me no end and I hope I can follow in your footsteps as becoming a commercial pilot is my dream too.


Captain Sensible, 29 Aug 2006
Having read Andrew's fantastic and swashbuckling book I can only conclude that he is a real hero of our time. With his nerves of steel, sparkling wit and beautiful body, he sets an example to our children and our children's children.

This is an epic gushing with morality and of truely spiritual quality. I firmly believe that whether or not you are particularly interested in aviation this is a book of the highest order.

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.

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.



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.


To be an Airline Pilot by Andrew Cook., 30 Oct 2006
A brilliant book and a must for anyone wanting to be a pilot! I have spent so much time trying to find out about how to become a commercial pilot and have received so many conflicting views that I was totally confused! I thought I would try this book and think it is excellent. It's laid out very well, is easy to read and has given me a good idea of where to train, how I can raise the finance to do it, what to expect, what I will be expected to learn and some very useful tips on getting a job at the end of it all.
Thank you Andrew, your words have helped me no end and I hope I can follow in your footsteps as becoming a commercial pilot is my dream too.


Captain Sensible, 29 Aug 2006
Having read Andrew's fantastic and swashbuckling book I can only conclude that he is a real hero of our time. With his nerves of steel, sparkling wit and beautiful body, he sets an example to our children and our children's children.

This is an epic gushing with morality and of truely spiritual quality. I firmly believe that whether or not you are particularly interested in aviation this is a book of the highest order.

An outstanding book, 05 Dec 2008
A fantastic book that is pitched at the level of the layman with some technical knowledge. This book contains all of the answers to all of the questions you would have on the subject of the Apollo project from a technical standpoint.

Once you pick it up, you will struggle to put it down.

Do not lend this book to anyone because you wont get it back!

Beautifully written tour de force, 14 Nov 2008
It takes real talent to explain something intricate without confusing or losing your reader in the process. David Woods has pitched the delivery of this masterpiece perfectly.

David gives the book a logical flow from start to finish, citing facts from each mission as appropriate to illustrate the issues. The explanations of hardware design and operation hit just the right level of detail to enlighten, but also end up inspiring awe. Until reading this book I had never realised just how superb the design of the Saturn/Apollo machine was.

Furthermore the significance of mission timings and trajectory calculations is explained, demystifying what for me has been a very grey area for the last 4 decades!

I would recommend this book for anyone already interested in the Apollo missions, but open to finding out more. It's a gem.

Fascinating, 14 Nov 2008
There are plenty of great books, films, TV shows and internet resources telling you who the Apollo astronauts were and what they said and did. There is surprisingly little telling you how they did it. Even the astronauts' and controllers' own memoirs seem to shy away from this, as if afraid that technical details are boring.

So how would you navigate to a pinpoint landing on a distant body? Why were the spaceships the size and shape they were, and what were the alternatives? What did all the bits do? How did they deal with things that went wrong? What was the astronauts' role in all of this? What were all those people in Mission Control doing? In the Apollo 13 movie, what on earth does "FIDO" or "Main Bus B Undervolt" mean?

This book explains it all, and somehow manages to do it in a way that is engaging and fairly easy to follow. I found it endlessly fascinating. Really excellent stuff that really fills a major gap, and I suspect future historians will love him for it.

Some bits work better than others; my mind wandered a little when reading about the scanning instruments in the SIM bay, but he rightly wants to explain every part of it and he structures it in a way that you can skip some bits but easily know where you are.

It is also great to see the attention he gives to all of the missions, not just the big-name ones, and explains really well how the build-up missions (not just Gemini but also Ranger and Surveyor and so on) contributed. And having once met the late Ron Evans of Apollo 17, I was chuffed to see his exploits described in some detail, especially as other books (especially Chaikin) tend to portray him as a bit of an amiable simpleton.

The only questions I would have are extremely minor; he seems to downplay Jim Irwin's health problems, which Chris Kraft's book described as practically a full-blown heart attack. He also downplays the design changes caused by Apollo 13, which again Chris Kraft complains were enforced by political rather than engineering reasons. But given his attention to detail in the rest of it he may well be correct.

So warmly recommended.


From pre-launch to splashdown, 27 May 2008
I have just finished reading this excellent book and I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in the Apollo project, or space flight in general.

Without getting bogged down in equations, this book explains how the space craft of the Apollo era worked and where flown. Following the journey from the launch pad to splash down, every stage of this grand adventure are explained in detail. Each section contains examples from the real missions to show how a staggering series of procedures allowed the first humans to walk on the Moon.

Well worth reading!

Deserves 10 Stars!, 13 May 2008
This is a book that I've been waiting for all my life! I've read so many books about Project Apollo, many of which naturally focus on the human side of the adventures-this is after all, what the general public wants to know about. But as a reasonably intelligent and educated person I have often been left wondering how they actually did everything they needed to get to the Moon and back safely. This book fills that gap and in a way that the person with an average level of education will fully comprehend and enjoy. Mr Woods's explanations on navigation procedures are so lucid as to make it sound simple and after a few minutes reading I found I could confidently bandy phrases around such as 'state vector' at dinner parties, even though I have to take my shoes and socks off to count up to 23!

After many years of falling into the trap of thinking the Moon landings were a great but, only moderately hard task to achieve, Mr Woods superb book has reinstated my feelings of awe for what humans can achieve if they put their minds to it and polished my absolute admiration for the astronauts who put themselves into the hands of their ground-based colleagues.

I cannot praise Mr Woods efforts enough, however I worry that since the bar has been set so high by the author, every subsequent book I read on Project Apollo will compare unfavourably to 'How Apollo Flew to the Moon'.

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.

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.



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 o