I'm a geologist. This is a book about the geology of the moon written by a geologist for the general public. It is as much a historical account of who came up with important ideas and why they were determined to be right or wrong (as new data came in through the Ranger, Lunar Orbiter, and Apollo programs) as it is a straightforward presentation of the geology of the moon. The author is careful to explain geologic terms, so don't let the potential for jargon prevent you from reading it.
The book has a fair number of illustrations, but it could have benefitted from a few more (for example the craters Sabine and Ritter are mentioned several times but there is no photo). However, it is easy enough to find pictures or videos of the subjects discussed on the internet (which was not the case when the book was written in 1993).
I had read Andrew Chaikin's "A Man on the Moon" immediately before reading this one. It is told primarily from the perspective of the astronauts, and the two books compliment each other very well.
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An Outstanding History of Efforts to Learn the Geology of the Moon
This lengthy and detailed account of lunar exploration and science strikes a balance between personal memoir and history. As history it provides a detailed and contextual account of lunar geology during the 1960s and 1970s, and a less detailed but informative account for the rest of the century. As memoir it provides an engaging story of the scientific exploration of the Moon as seen by one of the field's more important behind-the-scenes scientists who worked on Apollo. This is certainly the most detailed personal account of lunar science during the Apollo program, and should be read in tandem with Donald A. Beattie's "Taking Science to the Moon: Lunar Experiments and the Apollo Program" (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001).
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2006
This lengthy and detailed account of lunar exploration and science strikes a balance between personal memoir and history. As history it provides a detailed and contextual account of lunar geology during the 1960s and 1970s, and a less detailed but informative account for the rest of the century. As memoir it provides an engaging story of the scientific exploration of the Moon as seen by one of the field's more important behind-the-scenes scientists who worked on Apollo.
An Outstanding History of Efforts to Learn the Geology of the Moon
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2006
This is certainly the most detailed personal account of lunar science during the Apollo program, and should be read in tandem with Donald A. Beattie's "Taking Science to the Moon: Lunar Experiments and the Apollo Program" (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001).
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2016
- Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2015
- Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2001
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2025
Very good book on Apollo history
