posted 11-12-2008 10:28 AM               

Andrew Chaikin's A Man on the Moon is considered the definitive history of the Apollo moon missions -- arguably the pinnacle of human experience. Now, using never-before-published quotes taken from his in-depth interviews with twenty-three of the twenty-four Apollo lunar astronauts, Chaikin and his collaborator, Victoria Kohl, have created an extraordinary account of the lunar missions.

In Voices from the Moon the astronauts vividly recount their experiences in intimate detail; their distinct personalities and remarkably varied perspectives emerge from their candid and deeply personal reflections. Carefully assembled into a narrative that reflects the entire arc of the lunar journey, Voices from the Moon captures the magnificence of the Apollo program like no other book.

Paired with their own words are 160 images taken from NASA's new high-resolution scans of the photos the astronauts took during the missions. Many of the photos, which are reproduced with stunning and unprecedented detail, have rarely -- if ever -- been seen by the general public.

Voices from the Moon is an utterly unique chronicle of these defining moments in human history.

• Hardcover: 224 pages
  
• Publisher: Studio (May 14, 2009)
  
• ISBN-10: 0670020788
  
• ISBN-13: 978-0670020782

posted 05-14-2009 11:35 PM               

First impressions are that this is a must have if your an Apollo fanatic. The photos are excellent. There are some I have not seen in print in some time. Very well reproduced. The narrative by the crew members is really well done. This is from a fast scan of this volume. Mr. Chaikin has another winner.

There are an number of Apollo related books coming out this year. Hope they're all this good. I really highly recommend this one!

posted 06-04-2009 01:19 PM               

I will never ask Dave Scott how it feels?

posted 06-05-2009 02:58 PM               

Thanks again to Andy for this beautiful book and for finding another way to mine the gold from his interviews with our lunar explorers!

posted 06-24-2009 10:27 AM               

If you are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 with the purchase of a space book, then this is THE one to buy. Andy Chaikin has done it again and may even have surpassed himself in relation to his earlier stunning volumes.

posted 06-25-2009 09:26 AM               

Andrew Chaikin has done a brilliant job marrying the astronauts observations with images, some rarely heard or seen in print.

The first of two standout parts, for me, are on page 145 when Fred Haise describes his disappointment at the 'failure' of Apollo 13's primary mission. The two images of him during the flight which accompany the text are very poignant, portraying his feelings, sadly, very well.

posted 06-03-2010 09:41 AM            

Having read the book I must state that I have very mixed feelings about it.

On the positive side:
Clearly this book is very well researched, written, and illustrated. Many of the photographs are ones that I have never seen before. The astronauts own words and sentiments seem quite genuine, thoughtful, and refreshingly candid. As one who has never met an astronaut (not for lack of wanting) I found that by linking a given astronauts words on various subjects over the different pages I could discern a somewhat better measure of each man than I had in the past (from reading their bios, books, etc). I think that is what this book is trying to do and in that regard it does it well. Clearly the passage of time between when the astronauts made their space journeys and when they were interviewed for this book has given them a deep sense of perspective and distance (figuratively) that makes it easier for the non-space traveler (me) to better grasp their experiences. That was a very positive thing that I came away from this book with.

On the negative side:
On the very first page of the book the author dedicates the book 'to the four hundred thousand individuals - the men and women of Apollo - who worked to turn a science fiction dream into reality. Without them, the words and images on these pages would not exist.' As I began reading the book it immediately came to me that the author had deliberately ignored five Apollo astronauts - Cunningham, Eisele, McDivitt, Schirra, and Schweickart, whom I would argue: without them, the words and images on those pages could not exist. Belying its title the book is clearly about more than the moon for it encompasses aspects of the entire Apollo program and those men's voices were a part of that.

On page 61 Buzz Aldrin speaks of irony. Well I found it overtly ironic, and more than a bit saddening for me, to see that the book was published in China. And it was done so for one reason - to reduce its cost so that those that made it and published it can maximize their profits. It's that simple. And the irony is the fact that so many in the space community - including many of these same astronauts - say that the next flag planted on the moon will be the Chinese flag. And it will be paid for by our ridiculously obese trade imbalance with them that is driven by greed. So sad that one of Americas greatest achievements has to be 'published in China'. That soured my whole take on the book.

And on a neutral note:
I found it somewhat ironic - and perhaps a bit bemusing - to overlay two quotes from Dave Scott:

"I cannot count the number of times somebody has said to me, 'What does it feel like to be on the moon?' I'm tired of that Andy. I don't want to try and figure that out anymore. I've done my best." (pg ix)

'When Shepard came back from 14,... I said, "Hey Al, what's it really like?"... And all he had to do was look me in the eye, and I could read it. And he said, "It's spectacular." And that's all I needed to know.' (pg 57)

posted 06-03-2010 09:55 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Paul78zephyr:
On page 61 Buzz Aldrin speaks of irony. Well I found it overtly ironic, and more than a bit saddening for me, to see that the book was published in China.

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What does that have anything to do with qualities and/or shortcomings of the book? The fact that the book was manufactured in China just means that it was too expensive to be done in the US (and even with a Chinese-production, some, like you, couldn't afford it). And it wasn't published, just manufactured. Should I throw my PC too because it's "Made in China" written all over the place?

And what about Dennis Jenkins' authoritative book on the shuttle? It was also manufactured in China and printed in Hong Kong because it was the only way to bring costs down - and on a sidenote no US publishers was interested in his book in the first place. Should we throw it away too?

posted 06-03-2010 05:21 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Paul78zephyr:
I wonder how Dave Scott would have reacted if Shepard had given him the answer that he (Scott) gave the author.

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By the way, I think the book is fantastic. I bought it a few months ago in a bookstore and the unique images, combined with the astronaut's descriptions make this a must-read for those interested in the Apollo-era.

I liked the book so much, I brought it to Autographica last month, and had Fred Haise and Gerry Griffin sign it for me in person.