Customer Reviews

A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts

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I've read this book numerous times since the first hardcover edition in 1994, and I never fail to learn something new. While there on many books on Apollo that a serious enthusiast should read, this is easily the SINGLE best book yet written.

Chaikin is the only person to interview all 12 moonwalkers and get their personal feelings about everything from astronaut & crew selection, training, peer relations and best of all; orbiting and walking the moon. This is not a technical or scientific history, but an account of how the astronauts FELT about their entire Apollo experiences. You can easily "walk in their shoes" and "see through their eyes" with this book.

He writes in a way all persons can understand, and simplifies the engineering and scientific aspects so you can understand what the astronauts were dealing with. Not only does he avoid getting bogged down in techical speak, but actually makes the technical parts fascinating to learn!

If you want a good summary of Project Apollo, I'd recommend three books:

"To A Rocky Moon: A Geologist's History of Lunar Exploration" - by Don Wilhems. This is the science side of the story, and quite fascinating!

"Full Moon" by Michael Light. A beautiful coffee table book with pictures that take your mind to the moon. With this you can almost see what the astronauts did!

And lastly, and most important of all, this book. . ."A Man on the Moon." It will almost make you feel like you were the fourth crewman.

The three together will give you the best sense of what happened at that fascinating time in history!

I was 2 years old when Neil Armstrong placed the first boot print on the lunar surface, and after watching Apollo 13, I became curious as to what exactly it was that got us to the moon in the first place. In 6 months time I read "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell, "Last Man on the Moon" by Gene Cernan, "The Race", "Schirra's Space" and "Deke!".

A Man on The Moon was the last book I read, and I can speak from firsthand experience when I say that if I would have read it up first, I would have had no need to read the others. That is NOT to say that all of the other books are not good, quality reads (with maybe the exception being Schirra's book), because they certainly are, but Andy Chaikin left absolutely nothing to the imagination and almost no stone unturned when he penned this exciting and informative book.

Even though I was just a toddler when our exploration of the lunar surface began, thanks to Andy Chaikin, I don't feel that I missed a single thing.

If you liked the HBO series "From The Earth To The Moon", you must read this book. Such a detailed account of the astronauts and the missions does not exist else where. Each mission is described separately, in great prose. A must buy for all serious space readers.

Whether you are old enough to personally recollect the days of Apollo or if you were "born too late", the illustrated edition of Andrew Chaikin's, A MAN ON THE MOON is an essential book to own. Chaikin's uncanny ability to put you behind the eyes of the participants in humanity's greatest adventure, coupled with a collection of beautiful photos and illustrations, make this illustrated edition more like a "ticket to the moon" than any other work yet produced on the topic of spaceflight.

The historical accuracy of the author's narrative makes this an essential reference shelf item as well. Chaikin interviewed all of the Apollo moonwalkers and all of the key figures alive at the time of it's writing. The recollections and interesting details relayed by Chaikin are not to be found in any other work. Chaikin has turned his collection of interviews and research items into a dramatic and bold story as interesting and arresting as any work of fiction ever produced. It is no mystery why Tom Hanks was so inspired by Chaikin's writing, that he set out to produce HBO's FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, the most expensive and elaborate mini-series production to date.

This book goes way above and beyond what you would normally think of as a "good read". I find it quite easy to pick up these volumes and randomly start reading from any of it's pages. Chaikin also reveals the more human side of the very special people who took us to the moon and made President John F. Kennedy's dreams of lunar conquest come true. reading this book will help you understand what made people like Alan Shepard tick or why Neil Armstrong is often misunderstood by the press and his collegues.

A MAN ON THE MOON should be on the bookshelf of everyone who claims a sense of adventure, curiosity, or history.

The 3 volume boxed set of "A Man on the Moon" is perhaps the best book on the Apollo program ever published. Not only does it have the complete text of the original "a Man on the Moon", which was a great description of what it was like to fly on the Apollo missions, though lacking in both technical details and Apollo development history, but it is graced with hundreds of beautiful photos and a number of sidebars describing aspects of the moon program. Even if you have the original hardbound or paperback edition, buy this....its worth every penny and then some. I've spent many hours just leafing through it (I read the original years ago). If you or someone you know has the slightest interest in the moon landings, this is the book!

Andrew Chaikin's "A Man on the Moon" is an authoritative and inspiring portrait of the Apollo program's human side. While other accounts focus tightly on technical or scientific detail, where most astronaut biographies offer only the perspective of a single individual, this book reaches for the big picture, the grand historical and spiritual implications of the manned lunar landings.

Amidst the cultural earthquakes of the 60's, the Vietnam War and the din of protest, the author claims, we have never fully come to grips with the fact that Man has walked on another world, that we became a people without limits. Chaikin sets out to recount the story of the lunar voyages that the astronauts never wrote, and to bridge the gap between the high-tech realm of spaceflight and everyday experience. Based on extensive interviews with all surviving moon voyagers, "A Man on the Moon" is an important historical document as much as it is a great read.

Setting the tone, a short prologue mixes Kennedy's famous "before this decade is out" challenge with the story of how Pete Conrad, naval test pilot at Miramar and future moonwalker, learned of his selection as an astronaut in 1962. Throughout the book, Chaikin strives to blend the historical and the human dimensions of the space program. Where some of the lesser astronaut biographies stay on the surface and resort to "fighter jock" clichés, he succeeds at capturing the full spirit and emotional depth, be it the tragic Apollo 1 fire and subsequent recovery, the pompous triumph of Apollos 8 and 11, the drama and narrow escape of Apollo 13.

Every landing mission is assigned its own chapter and unique tone. The close comradeship of the Apollo 12 crew, "Sailors on the Ocean of Storms". The personal exorcism that Apollo 14 was to Commander Al Shepard, who had been grounded for many years. The glorious journey of scientific exploration undertaken by Apollo 15, first of the longer lunar rover missions. Naturally, some flights and astronauts receive more attention than others; but while Apollo 7, 9 and 10 are passed over quickly in comparison, even they or the Mercury and Gemini programs are treated more thoroughly than in some lesser accounts. On the whole, "A Man on the Moon" offers excellent detail for such an all-encompassing work. Hundreds of superbly chosen photographs and diagrams, biographical astronaut information and a thoughtful epilogue round out the book. The writing is rich and captivating throughout.

While there is better technical or scientific information to be found in other, more specialised works, Chaikin's book was intended to portray the man inside the space suit, to make us feel what they felt. At that it succeeds as brilliantly as the written word possibly can, without ever over-simplifying or fictionalising the story of this great adventure. Therein lies the achievement of "A Man on the Moon". As a guide for the casually interested reader, or an introduction for the budding specialist, this is the definite book on the Apollo program.

and each time I can't put it down. This is THE BEST book about the Apollo missions. I'm not sure how he did it but Andrew managed to get inside the heads of the moon explorers. Everytime I read it I feel like I'm going to the moon. If we want to inspire the next generation to continue space exploration then we should make this book part of the curriculum. No one who reads this book puts it down without believing that hard work, imagination and determination can overcome any obstacles. This book is a "must read" for EVERYONE.

I was born nearly 15 years after Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Despite that, I have a deep interest in the early manned space program. "A Man on the Moon" is by far the best book about early space flight that I have read. I am not a woman of science. In fact, almost all technical jargin is way over my head. My interest lies mainly in the lives of the astronauts- I want to know who they are. This book does two things I love: 1. it focuses mainly on the lives of the astronauts, and 2. it explains the science and technical aspects in a way I understand. I've read many of the astronauts's auto/biographies, and they are, of course, biased. Chalkin gives the facts in a well written and interesting way. While in the spirit of Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff," "A Man on the Moon" is much easier for a modern audience to follow. The Tom Hanks miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon" was based on this book, and for any fans of that I strongly suggest this book as a suppliment to the movie. Just fantastic.

Just one word I can say about this book: amazing. Full details and a great description virtually take you into the space program. The chapter when the Apollo 11 lands on the moon is incredible.

My review is of the sumptuous three-volume slipcased Time-Life edition of Chaikin's original work. On the jacket of these volumes that describe the amount of work that went into them, the editors wrote concerning the photographs: "The result, published here, is hundreds of compelling, often lyrical images assembled into a collection that may well never be equaled."

After enjoying hours of reading Chaikin's text and viewing the wonderful photographs compliled to complement it, I would have to agree that this will remain the definitive history of the Apollo program. It certainly would mean most to those who were old enough to witness the first landing on the Moon, as I was.

On July 20, 1969, I was in the lobby of the Seaview Hotel in Ocean City, New Jersey with other guests watching the most momentous event of the 20th century unfold. Our eyes were riveted to a television set and we were watching Neil Armstrong leave the lunar module and work his way down the ladder to the surface of the Moon. No one could say a word; we could only watch in wonder as Armstrong placed his boot on the lunar surface and spoke those immortal words.

This three volume set was published 1999 by Time-Life on the 30th anniversary of that first lunar landing. Chaikin's original book was published five years before; the entire text is included and the Time-Life editors compiled hundreds of the best photos from their own vast collection as well as those from NASA and other sources to complement the text. The result was too big for one or even two volumes, so it was published in three volumes and slipcased. What a treasure this set is!

After an appropriate introduction covering the Mercury and Gemini programs that were necessary stepping stones to reaching the Moon, the books cover each Apollo mission, including the diastrous Apollo 1 pad fire. Each manned mission to the Moon is covered--from Apollo 8 to Apollo 17--in engaging text and memorable photographs. However, much of what was done on Earth in preparation for reaching the Moon is also covered, the training as well as the engineering, written in an understandable style.

This multi-volume set is out of print but can be found through online auctions and used booksellers for a very reasonable price. When you find it, buy two sets--one for yourself and one for a friend would can appreciate it as much as you. We probably will never see another opportunity to go to the Moon in our lifetime. This multi-volume set is the best published record that we actually went there and is a wonderful tribute to the countless dedicated men and women who worked to make it happen.