Customer Reviews

How Apollo Flew to the Moon (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This exquisite book fills a noticeable gap in historical coverage of the Apollo missions. A number of excellent books cover the political decision to go to the Moon, the technological challenge of designing and testing the hardware, and the time spend by the LM crews on the lunar surface. What are rarely covered are flight operations - the procedures and systems - that made it possible to get to the Moon, to live and work in lunar orbit and during the journeys between worlds, to land, and to return safely to Earth. Some of the existing astronaut biographies - most notably, Michael Collins' unmatched "Carrying the Fire" - deal with aspects of flight operations but not across all the missions or in the depth that Woods achieves. Woods takes us expertly through a composite mission, while avoiding the mistake of losing his readers - well, this one, anyway - in a tangle of detail. Essential aspects of the flights are presented clearly and at appropriate moments. I particularly liked the idea of using the portion of the book covering the long coast out to the Moon to delve into such topics as life support, hygiene (how you shave and go to the bathroom in space), food, communications, etc. Woods' discussions of such critical operations as lunar orbit insertion, landing, returning to lunar orbit, and re-entry into Earth's atmosphere are impressive. Perhaps more than any other book I've read on the subject of Apollo, "How Apollo Flew to the Moon" gives me a feeling for the magnitude of the Apollo achievement. Highly recommended.

W. David Woods is the Senior Editor of the on-line Apollo Flight Journal (AFJ), hosted by NASA at http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ap15fj/index.htm

First of all, I second all the wonderful things that folks have said about this book in the other reviews. It beautifully fills in the gaps as to what was actually going on, and explains in relatively simple terms how the systems work. An engineer or space enthusiast won't have any problems with the terminology. A less educated reader might be somewhat less able to understand - but then again, they're probably not the target audience, anyway. As someone who spent his teenage years watching Apollo live, I'm very happy to have the book in my collection.

There are a few quirks that stuck out at me:
(1) The book literally stinks. I don't know what kind of paper and ink combination they used, but the book smells AWFUL. There's something in it that I'm allergic to. It makes me sneeze if it's within 18 inches of my face, so I have to hold it at arms length to read it without my eyes watering and my nose running. I hate to mention that, but it's enough of an issue to be more than just annoying. I have never had that problem with any other book.

(2) Most of the black and white photos are reproduced very darkly. Some of them are so dark that it's difficult to tell what we are supposed to be seeing in the photo.

(3) The author says up front that he will insist on using metric instead of English units because that's the way the rest of the world measures things. As someone who has memorized all the pertinent dimensions of the Apollo from his youth, it's very disconcerting for me to see them expressed solely in different units. In some cases, the author's writing around the units makes this even more bizarre to my American sensibilities. For example, we would say the F-1 engine produced 1.5 million pounds of thrust. On page 19, the author says the F-1 "produced a force that could balance 680 tonnes of mass." I only recall him using the word "thrust" once in the book - the rest of the time, he speaks of balance tonnes of mass.

(4) The editing was a little sloppy. Perhaps the book was not intended to be read sequentially, but there are examples when entire paragraphs are reproduced almost verbatim in several chapters. One section has a footnote that refers the reader to the previous chapter - the one we just read - for a discussion of a concept. The author also introduces verbatim transcripts of transmissions from actual missions to illustrate points about systems that he is discussing. However, he tends to include more of the conversation than is pertinent to the issue in question. It's as if someone is showing you film clips that go on a little longer than they should, past the punch line.

These are relatively minor quibbles, though. Again, I believe this is an excellent book than any fan of the Apollo era will want to have in his or her library.

Praxis, the company that also printed "The Manned
Spaceflight Log: 1961-2006", a compendium of every manned mission
from Gagarin to Spaceshift One.

In the author's preface he makes a point that I had been craving
for years:

"A particularly popular sub-niche is the astronaut bgraphy, a
somewhat variable collection of tomes that do much to relate the
story of humanity's only fora away from the grip of planet Earth.
Other volumes relate, in varying levels of detail, what the
intrepid explores actually did during their far too brief spells
on the surface of another world.

"Remarkably few books discuss the practical aspects of how
the voyage form the Earth to the Moon was achieved. The genre
seldom describes the equipment that was used; nor does it relate
the procedures and techniques that allowe the Apollo crews
to accomplish their audacious task: in general, historians
are not concerned with how a feat was achieved technically.
Instead, the dominant form of written history on Apollo studies
the experiences and interrelationships of the pople involved,
the political and social millieu in which they operated or it is
the polemic and ranting of those who are doing the commentating.
[...] The details of how something was achieved are considered to
be the realm of the 'geek' or 'nerd', and should not be presented
to the general public."

I've recently finished "In the Shadow of the Moon" and enjoyed
the stories of all of the astronaunts (and cosmonauts) who made it
into space, and how they were selected by the beocratic system to
be so honored. In case you were wondering, Alfred Worden was the first
divorced astronaut (an entire chapter!) and Boris Volynov was overlooked
for years due to his Jewish mother (being another chapter!).
Likewise, "The Right Stuff" is full of fighter-pilot bravado,
womanizing and alcool.

These are fascinating stories, but the are woefully lacking in the
technical details! Where is the red meat for the (geeky) base?
I want to know who designed the F-1 rocket motor and how the LOX
inlet combines the hypergolic fluid with the output of the turbo pump.
I want to read about the six dozen different abort modes that were
considered and the detailed arguments about earth orbit rendezvous,
lunar orbit rendezvous, direct TLI and why we selected LOR.
I want to know the Max-Q for the Saturn V as compared to the
Delta IV Heavy and the SSME. And I want details on the solid
waste system!

"How Apollo Flew to the Moon" delivers. I've been reading it all
evening and feel that it was written for me. Why aren't there more
historical books like this?

This book is fantastic and is a must-have for any astronautics bookshelf. I've read and enjoyed pretty much all the popular histories of Apollo, but this book is like having an owner's manual for the Apollo spacecraft. The sections on navigation are particularly fascinating, and are described so clearly that you almost feel like you could climb into an Apollo CM and find your way to the moon.

As the author himself states in the first chapter, the Apollo project really was a 21st century exploration goal that somehow got pushed ahead several decades and had to be achieved with 1960's technology. When you see in this book just how that was done you'll be even more impressed with the overall achievements of the Apollo project. Thanks to W. David Woods for writing this. I'd give it 6 stars if I could!

I have over 200 books on the early space program and the race to the moon but this book is by far the best and most detailed I have ever read on just how it was done. I couldn't put it down. If you ever wanted to know, for example, what every abort mode meant during launch or why and how the crew made certain burns during the flight, get this book! It takes the reader from liftoff through splashdown explaining in fantastic detail every step of these wonderful voyages. This book is not a techno-geek's only book. It explains to the common man in the street everything from transfer orbits to gimbal lock. Get this book! I guarentee, even if you thought you knew a lot about it, you'll be amazed at what it took to fly to the moon.

A page-turner for those interested in the mechanics of spaceflight. Even though it records the events of nearly forty years ago, it is still hard to believe that men put their faith in such frail craft; the chances of safely returning from the voyage to the moon were put at no more than 50/50.

What struck me most about this book was the depth of research, and the revelatory nature of some of the material. For example, while I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the mechanics of Apollo, having eagerly consumed anything and everything I could get my hands on since I was a kid watching it on TV, I was surprised to find out the accuracy required to safely enter lunar orbit. This book reveals that an SPS burn even 2 seconds short or longer than planned could result in either a crash into the Moon or slingshot into solar orbit. And that, once in orbit around the Moon, the time between loss-of-signal and re-aquisition was pre-calculated to the second, and their calculation was invariably right on the money. All this in the era of the slide-rule.

If you have even a passing interest in the technical detail of Man's greatest accomplishment, get this book. Guaranteed to please the hard-core space fan.

The only drawback of this publication is the cover art. I'm bemused at why there is a rather naff and mismatched image that makes the book look inferior when compared to "Digital Apollo", for example, which has an attractive well photographed cover.

This title is wonderful and a pleasure to read, it does not neglect to use technical explanations and whets your appetite for more. In other words, you are, after reading this, sufficiently informed, impressed and curious to actually ponder spending US$50 on books solely dedicated to "The F1 engine" and "Bulding the Saturn V IB" and "The design history of the Lunar Module ladder" etc.
I bought this book after a ridiculous Moon-landing denial argument and I have to say that it converts "unbelievers". It really is fascinating and I recommend it along with Mike Collins "Carrying the Fire" as two of the most accessible and engaging books on the topic. (Assuming you already have Chaikin's 'Man on the Moon')

This is a wonderful book! As an aviation Journalist I write about these topics myself - but David Woods helped me a lot with filling the gaps in my knowledge about Apollo. Of all the (about 50) books I have about the Lunar Landings, this is among the best four! (The other two are "Last Man on the Moon by Gene Cernan", Scott Sullivan's two books "Virtual LM" and "Virtual Apollo" and "Stages to Saturn". Many of the other books really only copy the official historical documents - but David Woods explains the stuff nobody else bothered to explain. Best example: the trajectories of Apollo took to the Moon. This is the book that explains the physics in a way a non-rocket scientist will understand it intuitively!

For the Spaceflight and Apollo Program historian and enthusiast, this is 10 out of 10 and two thumbs up. Where "Stages to Saturn" explained how to build yourself a Saturn V, this book tells you how to fly it to the Moon!

After devouring much of the great material generated over the past twenty years, I found 'How Apollo Flew to the Moon' offers a very clear, detailed and unique perspective on all of the flight dynamics for the entire mission, not just the more glamorous Lunar landings and EVAs. The explanations for (Captain) REFSMMAT and the workthroughs of the PAD Checklists finally made sense!

The explanations of the orbital trajectories, rendezvous and navigation techniques were expertly described. The lunar orbit rendezvous and re-entry procedures were covered to a depth and detail I've never seen.

The one thing that made me most excited about this book was how well it complemented other excellent references. It fills in the not so obvious gaps that have been left out of other books that have covered the Historical, Political and Aoutobiographical perspectives so well.

This reference makes a perfect companion to the other amazing Springer-Praxis publication, "Exploring the Moon', by David M. Harland, which covers the moonwalk EVAs and strategy just as exquisitely.

So in addition to the two publications mentioned here, here are 3 more that make up my 5 favourite and best references for the spaceflight junkie. I use these together strategically to get the most complete experience and understanding of what it was like to have experienced the fantastic Apollo Program, which unfolded for me when I was 8 - 12 years old.

1) A Man on the Moon, Andrew Chaikin. The beautiful 3 volume hard cover set is the best Astronaut/NASA Oriented perspective, giving great insight to the politics and personalities, the energy and excitement of the time.

2) SpaceCraft Films DVD boxed sets of every moonwalk minute, mission by mission, including The Mighty Saturns. Watch Apollo 15 Moonwalk as the drill gets stuck and David Scott gets increasingly pissed off and agitated at Charlie Duke and Mission Control as they try to manage thier surface activities. It's obvious and never reflected in any previous documentary. Watch Apollo 11 Bonus Materials postflight briefing for a nice long interview with Buzz and Neil, as he explains the problems he had during the descent, resulting in him translating to the left at touchdown. Great stuff!

3) Apllo Mission reports - Apogee Books. Details, details. Surface EVA maps, crew debriefings.

I found it really enjoyable to watch the Moonwalk DVDs with these great books and visual references nearby, and it made a more fulfilling Multi-media experience.

"How Apollo Flew to the Moon" is a must for every Space enthisiast's library, and the reviews by Eric Jones and Trammell Hudson are spot on. I devoured it.

If you only ever buy 2 or 3 Apollo books in your life, make sure this is one of them. I have a few Apollo books in my collection and none of them come close to the clarity and detail on offer here. The book manages to tread the elusive line between being overly technical and too simple. It's perfect for those who have a passing interest in space exploration, and I dare say a few hardened experts will learn a thing or two also. I would put myself in the former category and this book managed to lead me through the complexities of the Apollo missions without ever making an attempt to gloss over or patronise. You'll find yourself strangely intrigued by previously out of reach topics such as orbital mechanics and guidance systems while all the time knowing that we've still to get to the good bit - the actual landing itself.

The only real problem the author has is how do you follow such a sensational first book...?