Rocket Men : The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon

From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon. In this extensively researched account of that epic achievement, former publishing executive and prize-winning author Nelson (\*The First Heroes\*) moves seamlessly between \*Apollo 11\* astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, their nervous families and the equally nervous NASA ground crew. Nelson follows Armstrong in nail-biting detail as he tries to find a place to land with less than a minuteÖs worth of fuel remaining. A large central section of the book digresses to provide some backstory on the feverish American-Soviet game of one-upmanship in the year leading up to the \*Apollo 11\* launch. For instance, Nelson describes \*Apollo 8\* as an almost reckless gamble by NASA to beat the Russians in sending men to orbit the moon The book also describes the sad personal toll the mission took. Collins was best able to deal with the cost of fame yet expressed the anticlimax of life after \*Apollo 11\*: I seem gripped by earthly ennui. Space fans and readers who remember that momentous time will find this an exciting read. \*(June 29)\* Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist \*Starred Review\* Using interviews, NASA oral histories, and declassified CIA material, Nelson has produced a magnificent, very readable account of the steps that led to the success of Apollo 11. In the 40 years since the first moon landing and the 52 years since Sputnik was launched, it isn’t always remembered now what an experiment the Apollo program was, nor that the space race was as much a military as a scientific campaign. The space program was launched using the knowledge of rockets available at the end of World War II and former Third Reich scientists working in both American and Soviet programs. When it came to sending men into orbit and beyond, routines and equipment had to be invented and tested in minute increments. Nelson’s descriptions take us back, showing the assorted teams and how they worked together. We meet the astronauts and find out why they were eager to take on this mission, and we also meet the hypercareful technicians, without whom neither men nor craft would have left the ground. Nelson shows, too, how the technology and the politics of the times interrelated. Leslie Fish, songwriter, summed it up perfectly, “To all the unknown heroes, sing out to every shore / What makes one step a giant leap is all the steps before.” Nelson brightly illuminates those steps. --Frieda Murray From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon. In this extensively researched account of that epic achievement, former publishing executive and prize-winning author Nelson (_The First Heroes_) moves seamlessly between Apollo 11 astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, their nervous families and the equally nervous NASA ground crew. Nelson follows Armstrong in nail-biting detail as he tries to find a place to land with less than a minuteÖs worth of fuel remaining. A large central section of the book digresses to provide some backstory on the feverish American-Soviet game of one-upmanship in the year leading up to the Apollo 11 launch. For instance, Nelson describes Apollo 8 as an almost reckless gamble by NASA to beat the Russians in sending men to orbit the moon The book also describes the sad personal toll the mission took. Collins was best able to deal with the cost of fame yet expressed the anticlimax of life after Apollo 11 : I seem gripped by earthly ennui. Space fans and readers who remember that momentous time will find this an exciting read. (June 29) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Starred Review Using interviews, NASA oral histories, and declassified CIA material, Nelson has produced a magnificent, very readable account of the steps that led to the success of Apollo 11. In the 40 years since the first moon landing and the 52 years since Sputnik was launched, it isn’t always remembered now what an experiment the Apollo program was, nor that the space race was as much a military as a scientific campaign. The space program was launched using the knowledge of rockets available at the end of World War II and former Third Reich scientists working in both American and Soviet programs. When it came to sending men into orbit and beyond, routines and equipment had to be invented and tested in minute increments. Nelson’s descriptions take us back, showing the assorted teams and how they worked together. We meet the astronauts and find out why they were eager to take on this mission, and we also meet the hypercareful technicians, without whom neither men nor craft would have left the ground. Nelson shows, too, how the technology and the politics of the times interrelated. Leslie Fish, songwriter, summed it up perfectly, “To all the unknown heroes, sing out to every shore / What makes one step a giant leap is all the steps before.” Nelson brightly illuminates those steps. --Frieda Murray Astronautics Author Craig Nelson Restores The Mystery And Majesty To An Event That May Have Become Too Familiar For Most People To Realize What A Stunning Achievement It Represented In Planning, Technology, And Execution. Through Interviews, 23,000 Pages Of Nasa Oral Histories, And Declassified Cia Documents On The Space Race, Nelson Creates A Vivid And Detailed Account Of The Apollo 11 Mission. From The Quotidian To The Scientific To The Magical, Readers Are Taken Right Into The Cockpit With Aldrin And Armstrong And Behind The Scenes At Mission Control.--from Publisher Description. Behemoth -- The General's Command -- Anything But What He Is -- The Sons Of Galileo -- Mr. Cool Stone -- Don't Eat Toads -- A Way To Talk To God -- How The Pyramids Were Built -- Total Cold War -- The Bluff At Nobleman's Grave -- The Fluid Front -- The Transfiguration -- The Great Black Sea -- The Birth Of The Moon -- The Eagle Has Wings -- One Of Those Sad Days When You Lose A Machine -- Mr. President, The Eagle Has Landed -- To Rediscover Childhood -- A Tenuous Grasp -- We Missed The Whole Thing -- Through You, We Touched The Moon -- When All Those Curves Lined Up. Craig Nelson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [377]-393) And Index. A richly detailed and dramatic account of one of the greatest achievements of humankind At 9:32 A.M. on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 rocket launched in the presence of more than a million spectators who had gathered to witness a truly historic event. It carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins to the last frontier of human imagination: the moon. Rocket Men is the thrilling story of the moon mission, and it restores the mystery and majesty to an event that may have become too familiar for most people to realize what a stunning achievement it represented in planning, technology, and execution. Through interviews, twenty-three thousand pages of NASA oral histories, and declassified CIA documents on the space race, Craig Nelson re-creates a vivid and detailed account of the Apollo 11 mission. From the quotidian to the scientific to the magical, readers are taken right into the cockpit with Aldrin and Armstrong and behind the scenes at Mission Control. Rocket Men is the story of a twentieth-century pilgrimage; a voyage into the unknown motivated by politics, faith, science, and wonder that changed the course of history. A New York Times Bestseller'Celebrates a bold era when voyaging beyond the Earth was deemed crucial to national security and pride.'-The Wall Street Journal Restoring the drama, majesty, and sheer improbability of an American triumph, this is award-winning historian Craig Nelson's definitive and thrilling story of man's first trip to the moon. At 9:32 a.m. on July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 rocket launched in the presence of more than a million spectators who had gathered to witness a truly historic event. Through interviews, 23,000 pages of NASA oral histories, and declassified CIA documents on the space race, Rocket Men presents a vivid narrative of the moon mission, taking readers on the journey to one of the last frontiers of the human imagination. The author restores the mystery and majesty to an event that may have become too familiar for most people to realize what a stunning achievement it represented in planning, technology, and execution. Through interviews, 23,000 pages of NASA oral histories, and declassified CIA documents on the space race, the author creates a vivid and detailed account of the Apollo 11 mission. From the quotidian to the scientific to the magical, readers are taken right into the cockpit with Aldrin and Armstrong and behind the scenes at Mission Control. -- From publisher's description Behemoth The general's command Anything but what he is The sons of Galileo Mr. Cool Stone Don't eat toads A way to talk to God The great black sea The birth of the moon How the pyramids were built Total Cold War The bluff at Nobleman's Grave The fluid front The transfiguration The eagle has wings One of those sad days when you lose a machine "Mr. president, the eagle has landed? To rediscover childhood A tenuous grasp We missed the whole thing Through you, we touched the moon Aftermath.