Apollo: The Race to the Moon [Hardcover]

Charles Murray (Author), Catherine Bly Cox (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon," said President Kennedy on May 25, 1961. Eight years and eight weeks later, astronaut Neil Armstrong took his "one small step for man, one giant step for mankind." Murray ( Losing Ground ) and Cox, his wife, tell the absorbing story of how that goal was reached, mostly from the point of view of the managers and scientists who made it happen. They trace the design and development of successive spacecraft and boosters, explain how liquid-fueled rocket engines, guidance systems and other components work, and reveal the managerial controversies and technical improvisations that enabled the program to proceed despite serious setbacks. The setbacks are covered in depth; for example, the 1967 ground-test fire in which Gus Grissom and two other astronauts were asphyxiated, and the crisis during Apollo 13's return from the moon when there was a possibility that the astronauts in the space capsule might orbit the earth forever, "a perpetual monument to the space program." Photos. Macmillan Book Clubs alternate.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 506 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (July 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671611011
• ISBN-13: 978-0671611019
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #924,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, November 3, 2001

By A Customer

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

I've read most of the other "space" books and this one is the best by far. Most of these books are written from the astronaut's point of view, and while this is an exciting and interesting view point, it's pretty clear that there are thousands of people working behind the scenes for each astronaut out doing his job (his - this is Apollo - all of them were men).

After reading "Apollo" I have a new understanding for the amount of effort and love that went into the creation of the Apollo program. The men and women who helped put a man on the moon are every bit the heroes as the 12 who stood on the surface (as well as the seven, the nine, etc.).

If you really want to understand how America put a man on the moon, this is the book to read. After you finish, go back and watch Tom Hanks' "From the Earth to the Moon."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Definitive book on the Apollo program..., April 26, 2001

By 

Thomas Moody - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

This book is the true "diamond-in-the-rough". With so many re-issues of material from the manned space program and specifically Apollo, it's hard to imagine that this book isn't re-issued again and again! This book (along with Andrew Chaiken's Man on the Moon and Jim Lovell's Lost Moon) is by far the definitive account of the Apollo program. Not just a re-gurgitation of the Apollo history, this story is told from a Flight Controller/Engineering perspective and gives a truer picture of what the early and subsequent days of the program were like. Here, Apollo Program Manager Joe Shea comes alive and is portrayed as an heroic/brilliant manager, not the villian of the Apollo 1 fire as in other accounts. You're down in the "trench" in Mission Control for not only the Apollo 11 Moon landing, but also for the lesser known Apollo 6, the ill-fated second un-manned launch of the Saturn V. It may be hard to find this book, but the effort is well worth it...one of the top 5 books that I've ever read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book ever written about Apollo, August 10, 1999

By 

Michael J Edelman (Huntington Woods, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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

Murray and Cox wrote by far the single best book on Apollo. It covers the political decisions, the engineering, the people, and the history. The engineering is explained in a clear and non-condescending way that non-technical people can understand, and yet it's thorough enough to interest scientists and engineers as well. The detailed descriptions of the various technical and political debates, as well as the struggles between divisions of NASA and various contractors are well documented with many different sources consulted.

With the current resurgence of interest in Apollo and the reissue of a number of lesser books, it's a great pity this book has not been reissued.