Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon [Hardcover]

David Reynolds (Author), Wally Schirra (Author), Von Hardesty (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Tehabi Book | Publication Date: May 20, 2002

NASA's Apollo answered President Kennedy's 1961 directive to land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth by the end of the decade. The astronauts, scientists, and mission control operators who took part in the fifteen manned Apollo missions not only accomplished this memorable triumph of courage and technical ingenuity, they stirred the world's imagination and redefined the notion of what is truly possible.

In this captivating story of adventure and exploration, expert David West Reynolds presents a complete and engaging reconstruction of all the key events and personalities in the Apollo program. From the thrilling experiences of the astronauts to the men of extraordinary vision and skill who built a reality out of a dream, Reynolds captures the drama of this epic journey.

Rendering complex and technical material into accessible terms for the uninitiated reader, while providing unusual details for the aficionado, Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon takes you along on the most unforgettable ride of the twentieth century.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Among the many books written on the history of the Apollo program, this one, by classical archaeologist Reynolds, stands out. The author of six previous books, including Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, Reynolds looks back on the history of Apollo from the perspective of the 21st century. NASA, despite its success, was not the flawless government agency many believed it to be, and the lunar astronauts themselves were not simply one-dimensional heroes but complex human beings with failings. Nevertheless, America won the race to the moon, and this book re-creates the drama the whole world experienced over 30 years ago. The well-written text is accompanied by numerous photos and drawings much more so than most other works on Apollo history. The author's explanations of complex technological matters are easy to understand, and readers will appreciate the small details he recounts, such as how astronauts repaired a fender on the lunar rover with duct tape. Recommended for all libraries. Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado Lib., Denver
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This title is definitely one of the best books written about Apollo in recent years. An exuberantly visual treatment of the Saturn/Apollo combination and its specific missions, the work also rues the fact that the Apollo program was rushed to meet JFK's deadline, and didn't fully realize the dreams of Werner von Braun and other 1950s space dreamers whose visions were captured in the paintings of Chesley Bonestell. These form several of a train of full-page sidebars that dominate this book, a design element that invites browsing. Almost every major component of the Apollo complex is displayed, from the ground installations, to the titanic first stage, up to the moonwalker's spacesuit. Standing out among these layouts are those devoted to the most daring and scientifically significant missions, Apollo 15 and 17. Using a panoramic photographic mosaic of those two landing sites amid mountains, Reynolds forcefully impresses the otherworldliness of the moon. In the windup, Reynolds shows von Braun's plan and illustrations for scaling up Apollo into a space station, moon bases, and expeditions to Mars. Instead, following the Skylab interlude, Apollo was turned over to scrap dealers and museum curators. Reynolds' work will attract throngs of readers. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (May 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0151009643
• ISBN-13: 978-0151009640
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,135,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David West Reynolds is the author of several books, including #1 New York Times bestseller Star Wars: Episode I, The Visual Dictionary. He holds a doctorate in classical archaeology from the University of Michigan. An expert in space exploration, Reynolds is directing a project with a group of lunar and astrophysical scientists to recover image data from a little-known 1973 Soviet moon landing. He lives in Marin County, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Way too many errors, December 13, 2002

By 

David Shomper "Apollo engineer" (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon (Hardcover)

I worked as an engineer on the Gemini and Apollo projects, with McDonnell in St. Louis and at the Cape, working for Boeing. I am an avid reader of space history, and feel qualified to comment.

I would therefore like to point out a few errors and discrepancies in the book which I found to be very irritating:

Pg. 63: (caption) The rocket identified is the facilities test vehicle, AS-500F, not AS-504.

Pg. 69: There is no such thing as "fuel cell batteries"; they were either fuel cells OR
batteries.

(caption) The official crew designation was Lunar Module Pilot (LMP), not Lunar Module Co-pilot (even on flights where there was no LM).

Pg. 79: (caption) As evidenced by the high sun angle, this photo was taken several hours after sunrise.

Pg. 82: I don't think the rocket's tanks were at a very high pressure; that was the purpose
of the fuel and oxidizer pumps.

The diameter of the "internal brain" (and the S-IVB third stage) was 22 feet, not
30.

Pg. 89: Identifying captions for the liquid hydrogen lines and the oxygen tank are
reversed.

Pg. 92: AS-501 was the rocket for Apollo 4, not AS-504 (2 places)

Pg. 94: The diameter of the first and second stages was 33 feet, not 36.

The CSM was built in California, not Washington

The actual term used was "turning basin", not "turn basin".

The CSM and LM were trucked from the landing strip to the MSOB, not the
VAB. See photo on pg. 116.

Pg. 95: The actual term used was "turning basin", not "turn basin".

Pg. 96: There were only 3 active firing rooms in the LCC during Apollo, not 4.

The actual term used was "turning basin", not "turn basin".

Pg. 99: (caption) I don't think that is Mr. Wendt; G.W. wore heavy glasses. (See pg.
130.) He also spells his name "Guenter".

Pg. 100: Apollo 8 was beginning its arc toward orbital velocity, not escape velocity.
Escape velocity came several hours later.

The center of gravity shifted as the fuel was consumed, not as the engines moved.

Pg. 102: The Apollo countdown began about 4 days before launch, not 28 hours.

There were many more than 15 television display screens in the LCC firing room;
check the photo on page 132.

Pg. 105: Apollo 8 entered orbit behind the moon; they didn't enter orbit and then prepare
to travel around the far side.

Pg. 130: (caption) Mr. Wendt spells his name "Guenter", not "Gunter".

Pg. 146: Armstrong has admitted he never said "...for a man". That is what he intended,
but he left out the "a". This is quite obvious if you listen to the radio
transmission.

Pg. 166: The astronauts breathed pure oxygen, not air.

Pg. 182: The LM atmosphere was pure oxygen, not air.

Pg. 207: (caption) According to the photo on pg. 225, Apollo 15 landed farther away from
the visible center than Apollo 17 did.

Pg. 214: The CSM atmosphere was pure oxygen, not air.

Pg. 217: The yellow line should be identified as "re-entry trajectory", not "launch
trajectory".

Pg. 242: The Orbital Workshop atmosphere was to be pure oxygen, not air.

Pg. 253: I assume the scale on the right side represents meters; it should be so stated.

General: Many terms are abbreviated (V.A.B., C.S.M., etc.) when in fact they were not written that way. We used VAB, CSM, KSC, etc. Oddly enough, LM seems to be the only one written correctly in the book.

There are many references to the LM's "cockpit stage". While this is where the cockpit was located, the correct term is "ascent stage". I never heard the term "cockpit stage" used.

Despite all these comments, I really enjoyed the text and the photos. The book also introduced me to some interesting websites I had not seen before.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for every space enthusiast, May 2, 2002

By 

R. Miller (South Boston, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon (Hardcover)

I just received an advance copy of "Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon" by David Reynolds (Tehabi Books, San Diego). It's really, by far, one of the most spectacular visual histories of the Apollo program I've ever seen. 272 pp, hundreds of full-color illustrations, including several fold-out pages (such as a four-page fold-out cutaway of the Saturn V), and an authoritative text, the book is a gorgeous package. Unlike most other histories of the program, "Apollo" discusses the lunar landings within the larger social and scientific context. In fact, the first 100 pages are devoted to the events that led up to Apollo, including a beautifully illustrated history of rocketry and space exploration (featuring 6 pages on the Collier's series, with full-color Bonestell art, and the Disney TV space shows). There is a section on the origins and geology of the moon--with great specially-commissioned diagrams--and several pages about the Soviet moon program.

All in all a spectacular volume that I cannot recommend too highly.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very, very good, May 17, 2002

By 

David M Harland (Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon (Hardcover)

There have been many colourful large format books on the Apollo missions published over the years, and by now most of them must have made their way to the secondhand stalls, but David West Reynolds' book is sure to became a treasured momento. In addition to a lucid and very informative commentary, it contains carefully drawn illustrations and exquisitely produced pictures, including some specifically assembled lunar panoramas. It is like Michael Light's 'Full Moon', but in colour!