Earthrise: How Man First Saw the Earth (Hardcover)

~ Dr. Robert Poole (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Concisely and thoughtfully, British historian Poole reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the first photographs taken of Earth from space, and how those amazing images forever changed our view of the planet, the universe and humanity. The tightly scheduled 1968 Apollo 8 mission was focused on the first lunar orbit, but "Earthrise"--the image of a cloudy blue Earth rising over a starkly monochromatic lunar surface--stunned everyone. Astronaut Frank Borman called it "the most beautiful, heart-catching sight of my life." NASA, at the forefront of the "astrofuturist" movement that saw humanity's future out among the stars, was unprepared for the paradoxical reaction "Earthrise" provoked. Rather than turning people's eyes on a future in space, it refocused them on Earth. For many astronauts, says Poole, the sight "hit with the force of a religious experience," which echoed throughout the world. Fifteen months later came the first Earth Day and the start of an "eco-renaissance" devoted to preserving and protecting "Spaceship Earth." Drawing on historical reports and interviews, Poole smartly delineates the philosophical, spiritual and environmental impact of the photo that reminded humankind of the beauty and fragility of Earth. Photos. (Nov.)
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Review

"An absorbing account of how the first pictures of Earth shaped mankind''s perception of itself, and its relationship with nature."-The Chronicle Review (The Chronicle Review 20090101)

"This smart and exciting little book sets the historical context for this photo [Earthrise], and is especially fascinating about the almost forgotten Apollo program. . . . This book is rich in the relationship between past and contemporary imagination and the realities of these missions."-William Kowinski, North Coast Journal (William Kowinski, North Coast Journal 20090301)

"A remarkable book."-Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times (My book gift choice of this season) (Susan Salter Reynolds Los Angeles Times 20090323)

"An interesting, informative read. . . . Recommended."-Choice (Choice )

"Marvelous."-Eve Lichtgarn, The Space Review (Eve Lichtgarn The Space Review )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (November 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300137664
• ISBN-13: 978-0300137668
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #427,509 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seeing Ourselves in the Mirror, February 16, 2009

By	Space Fan (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews

A captivating and fascinating book, Earthrise brought back childhood memories of being glued to the TV on Christmas Eve, 1968 and hearing Borman, Lovell and Anders read from the Book of Genesis and signing off just before they went around the dark side of the moon by wishing a Merry Christmas and God's blessings to all of us "on the good earth". A few weeks later the famous Earthrise photo became public and I remember being so fascinated by the starkness between the the black of space, the gray of the moon and the blue and white "floating half-sphere" of our home.

The author Robert Poole does a great job capturing these 1968 moments again and subsequent moments of the lunar landing, the 1972 "Blue Marble" photo and other related tidbits of what seems like yesterday but is now surpassing 40 years. We have not looked at our home the same since...and those born after 1968 may not comprehend fully the impact of these photos on not only our national, but global society.

My only disappointment with the book and hence 4 stars has to do with some poor proof reading and fact checking. For example, "...waters called He seas." (see p. 26), a couple of references to "three-manned" Gemini missions (p. 69 and 125)- [they were all two-manned missions]; Jacques Cousteau "diving at an island off New Mexico." (p.120) and mention of a 1963 encyclical by Pius XII on page 132. Pius XII died in 1958. Finding this many errors in an otherwise very good book make me a bit skeptical that there may be other errors as well. I hope not!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Captivating Look at Ourselves, December 10, 2008

By	Colin Burgess (Sydney, AUSTRALIA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Apollo 8 represented one of the most audacious decisions ever made in the history of space exploration. With the production of the spindly Lunar Module lagging and overdue, NASA took the bold step of sending a crew of three astronauts on a momentous journey from the Earth to the moon and back again. Undoubtedly it took the wind out of the sails of the Soviet effort in the titanic race to the moon, and we will always recall the deep poignancy as one by one the crew read from the book of Genesis that Christmas Eve of 1968. But there is another thing for which the journey of Apollo 8 will always be remembered, and that is the iconic photo we know as "Earthrise." Two celestial worlds in the one photograph, but the difference is profound. As mission commander Frank Borman states in this engrossing book, it was "the most beautiful, heart-catching sight of my life." Fellow crewmember James Lovell is also quoted as saying that "People down here don't realize what they have," while the third member of an otherwise fairly pragmatic crew , Bill Anders, reveals that he was "immediately almost overcome by the thought that here we came all this way to the moon, and yet the most significant thing we're seeing is our own home planet, the Earth."

This is a truly magnificent book, and not just because it explores the background of the cover photo and others, but in its own subtle way it causes us to take a good, long, hard look at ourselves. Many astronauts have said that it is a pity we can't all have the privilege of looking at our planet from space, because such things as wars and borders would become irrelevant in seeing Earth as a whole, united planet. We would embrace and want to protect it as our spectacularly sublime home, instead of trying our best to destroy or overwhelm it.

This book is not just about space programmes and explorers - it is about us, and a gloriously iconic photograph that made us all gasp in awe some 40 years ago. The author has done a exemplary job in creating this book, and it deserves to be around for a long time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly fascinating, January 30, 2009

By	Carlos Wilton (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A truly fascinating book, good on the human element as well as the science. This is a book that trades in the power of symbols. It's an innovative approach, writing a history of an iconic symbol like the Earthrise photo. An important piece of documentary history for the space age.