Journey to the Moon (Library of Flight Series) [Paperback]

Eldon C. Hall (Author), E. Hall (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 156347185X | ISBN-13: 978-1563471858 | Publication Date: January 1996

The first of its kind, "Journey to the Moon details the history and design of the computer that enabled U.S. astronauts to land on the moon. The book recalls the history of computer technology, both hardware and software, and the applications of digital computing to missile guidance systems and manned spacecraft. The book also offers graphics and photos drawn from the Draper Laboratories' archives that illustrate the technology and related events during the Apollo project. Written for experts as well as lay persons, "Journey to the Moon is the first book of its kind and a must for anyone interested in the history of science and the relevance of computer technology to space exploration.

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics & Ast (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156347185X
• ISBN-13: 978-1563471858
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,106,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Effort, June 9, 2000

By 

Mark Bladon (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey to the Moon (Library of Flight Series) (Paperback)

A super volume - full of detail, a super account of the development of the guidance computer used by the Apollo flights. At the same time, this excellent book is a fascinating account of the growth of the computer itself; we forget how much technology Apollo kick-started, and this book illustrates very effectively the genesis of a new, extraordinary industry

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Journey !, October 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Journey to the Moon (Library of Flight Series) (Paperback)

Eldon thank you for putting to paper this bit of history. The photos are great. I really gained a sense of the time, the challenges, and the accomplishments.

I try to imagine after reading your book, how proud you must be to have helped make history. The Apollo program is the greatest accomplishment of the 20th Century.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior and Detailed Account, September 5, 2003

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Journey to the Moon (Library of Flight Series) (Paperback)

Eldon Hall has done something rare with this book. He has taken a very complex subject, nearly forgotten due to time, and made it utterly relevant and engaging. For anyone with an interest in either space or computer history, this is a vital book.

It is somewhat technical (I had no idea how they made rope memory modules, an early ROM format before this book for instance), but Hall is very careful to explain things in terms that an average reader can readily understand.

The book itself documents the Apollo Guidance Computer from conception through numerous iterations and changes, to final successful lunar landings. Although the AGC capabilities seem trivial today, the AGC was the world's first Integrated Chip computer, and had enormous hurdles to overcome. In the end, of course, we know that Hall and his fellow employees at MIT did a good job...what I didn't know before was exactly what they had to do and the challenges they had to overcome.