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The Apollo Program: The History and Legacy of America’s Most Famous Space Missions
*Includes pictures*Chronicles the Apollo program from beginning to end, profiling Apollo 1, Apollo 11, and Apollo 13*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contentsThe Apollo space program is the most famous and celebrated in American history, but the first successful landing of men on the Moon during Apollo 11 had complicated roots dating back over a decade, and it also involved one of NASA’s most infamous tragedies. Landing on the Moon presented an ideal goal all on its own, but the government’s urgency in designing the Apollo program was actually brought about by the Soviet Union, which spent much of the 1950s leaving the United States in its dust (and rocket fuel). In 1957, at a time when people were concerned about communism and nuclear war, many Americans were dismayed by news that the Soviet Union was successfully launching satellites into orbit. Among those concerned was President Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose space program was clearly lagging a few years behind the Soviets� space program. From 1959-1963, the United States worked toward putting satellites and humans into orbit via the Mercury program, but Eisenhower’s administration was already designing plans for the Apollo program by 1960, a year before the first Russian orbited the Earth and two years before John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy addressed Congress and asked the nation to “commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.� Given America’s inability to even put a man in orbit yet, this seemed like an overly ambitious goal, and it isn’t even clear that Kennedy himself believed it possible; after all, he was reluctant to meet NASA Administrator James E. Webb’s initial funding requests.As Apollo 11’s name suggests, there were actually a number of Apollo missions that came before, many of which included testing the rockets and different orbital and lunar modules in orbit. In fact, it wasn’t until Apollo 8 that a manned vehicle was sent towards the Moon and back, and before that mission, the most famous Apollo mission was Apollo 1, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Over the decade, NASA would spend tens of billions on the Apollo missions, the most expensive peacetime program in American history to that point, and even though Apollo 11 was only one of almost 20 Apollo missions, it was certainly the crown jewel. only one of nearly 20 Apollo missions conducted by NASA. And to make Apollo 11 a success, it would take nearly a decade of planning by government officials, hard work by NASA scientists, intense training by the astronauts, and several missions preceding Apollo 11. It also cost over $20 billion, making the Apollo program the most expensive peacetime program in American history at the time. Apollo 12 successfully landed astronauts on the Moon just a few months after Apollo 11’s successful mission. Apollo 12 was actually more successful than Apollo 11 from the standpoint of fulfilling the mission objectives, but it was naturally overshadowed since it did not come first. Another reason Apollo 12 is mostly forgotten today can be credited to the dramatic and fateful Apollo 13 mission, which took twists and turns nobody could have predicted when it launched on April 11, 1970. Apollo 13’s mission was to land on the Moon near the Fra Mauro highlands, which were hills that had somehow formed in the middle of a huge crater tens of miles wide. The mission was supposed to test for seismic activity and take samples to analyze the crater and try to find an explanation for the formation of the hills.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2015
115 people are currently reading
517 people want to read
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Charles River Editors
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 13, 2022
Great read
An awesome overview of the Apollo program! Well worth the time to read if you are in awe of space.
An awesome overview of the Apollo program! Well worth the time to read if you are in awe of space.
October 29, 2018
My wife bought me a Kindle Fire 8 because my iPad mini is groaning and limping a slow death. In my Kindle app is a list of books already...some my wife's...and this one. Growing up in the era, I love the Apollo program and consider it the greatest engineering achievement so far, so I downloaded it. Kindle's atrocious, clunky interface did nothing to help this book, which was horribly edited. It does have plenty of technical and historic detail. It does have plenty of technical and historic detail. I did that on purpose, because unfortunately, this mess of a book also repeated large sections verbatim. Edited by committee, I suppose. Like the two manufacturers of the Apollo Command/Service and Lunar Excursion Modules not talking to each other and causing a big problem after Apollo 13 had a ... big...problem, one project manager/editor might have turned this from a mildly informative to a decently written book.
Not recommended. Go check out Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed Everything by Martin Sandler.
Not recommended. Go check out Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed Everything by Martin Sandler.
June 14, 2017
Interesting
This has a lot of information the Apollo programs. Sometimes to much so. It becomes clunky and long winded only to end up rushed at the end. Still worth a read as it covers all the missions not just the well known ones.
This has a lot of information the Apollo programs. Sometimes to much so. It becomes clunky and long winded only to end up rushed at the end. Still worth a read as it covers all the missions not just the well known ones.
June 19, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It focused mainly on Apollo 1, 11, and 13, but I enjoyed the overview of the program.
November 29, 2019
Enjoyed reading this book. Informative and very eye opening
September 22, 2020
Writing style is a little rough at first. Only really discusses the three big projects: Apollo 1, 11, 13.
September 30, 2024
Overview of the Apollo space program. Information taken from NASA reports, some quite technical. Amazing what was accomplished.
February 20, 2017
I started reading this book because the title caught my eye. Apollo program have been one of the most talked about programs in the history of space exploration having been covered in a multitude of mainstream media, both written and visual one. Sending men on moon and bringing them back safely was indeed a remarkable achievement by NASA and can be considered as a cornerstone in the field of space exploration.
I was expecting a more intimate account of the program but the book failed to deliver on that aspect. I would have loved to read more detailed insights of the men involved on what it meant for them to be a part of this historic program. However, the book sounds more like a professional report or essay than an intimate account of the program. This was what disappointed me the most. It is filled with passages taken out of the official report and tends to be a bit boring in the middle. Eg. Lots of technical details of the Apollo spacecrafts have been mentioned which tends to stretch the book a bit and bores you down. However, the emotional aspect of the successful Apollo 11 mission or the horrors of being stuck in the space with limited resources and heroic return back to the earth of the Apollo 13 astronauts have been neglected quite a bit.
Inspite of all that, it is a good attempt to educate the future generations about the triumphs and failures of the man's quest to conquer space. A more intimate and personal touch to the program would have been wonderful though. Somehow, in the end this book leaves you wanting more and doesn't satisfy your appetite.
I was expecting a more intimate account of the program but the book failed to deliver on that aspect. I would have loved to read more detailed insights of the men involved on what it meant for them to be a part of this historic program. However, the book sounds more like a professional report or essay than an intimate account of the program. This was what disappointed me the most. It is filled with passages taken out of the official report and tends to be a bit boring in the middle. Eg. Lots of technical details of the Apollo spacecrafts have been mentioned which tends to stretch the book a bit and bores you down. However, the emotional aspect of the successful Apollo 11 mission or the horrors of being stuck in the space with limited resources and heroic return back to the earth of the Apollo 13 astronauts have been neglected quite a bit.
Inspite of all that, it is a good attempt to educate the future generations about the triumphs and failures of the man's quest to conquer space. A more intimate and personal touch to the program would have been wonderful though. Somehow, in the end this book leaves you wanting more and doesn't satisfy your appetite.
October 27, 2020
Terrible!
A poorly written and superficial account, with large amounts of repitition.
I you are interested in the history of the moon landings then look no further than Michael Collins� “Carrying the fire�, which is superb.
A poorly written and superficial account, with large amounts of repitition.
I you are interested in the history of the moon landings then look no further than Michael Collins� “Carrying the fire�, which is superb.
August 6, 2016
If you just want the facts, and lots of them, about the Apollo space program without the bother of insights into it, this is the book for you. You can learn a lot of interesting trivia (How heavy WAS that launch platform anyway?), and you get some quotes from the key players, as well as some pictures. What you don't get is a real understanding of what the program meant while it was happening or the lasting effects of the program on the Anerica we live in today.
I was a middle school student when the Apollo program began and a young married at the time it ended, so I remember a lot of what the writer talks about. I can see where it would be confusing for someone who wasn't there. A lot of the material is repeated in numerous places, and sometimes the writing is not technically good. It made me wonder where the editor was.
My biggest single complaint is actually the author's complaint: we know all about some flights (11 when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon and 13 which was almost lost but became the wonderful movie "Apollo 13", but we don't know much about most of the missions. After complaining about this all the way through the Preface and getting my hopes up, the author did the same thing. Pretty disappointing.
So, if you really want to know about the Apollo space program, find another book, or even look for the video series, "From Earth to the Moon." You'll enjoy it a lot more.
I was a middle school student when the Apollo program began and a young married at the time it ended, so I remember a lot of what the writer talks about. I can see where it would be confusing for someone who wasn't there. A lot of the material is repeated in numerous places, and sometimes the writing is not technically good. It made me wonder where the editor was.
My biggest single complaint is actually the author's complaint: we know all about some flights (11 when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon and 13 which was almost lost but became the wonderful movie "Apollo 13", but we don't know much about most of the missions. After complaining about this all the way through the Preface and getting my hopes up, the author did the same thing. Pretty disappointing.
So, if you really want to know about the Apollo space program, find another book, or even look for the video series, "From Earth to the Moon." You'll enjoy it a lot more.
April 3, 2016
I have read several historical collections by Charles River Editors and have found them informative and useful, particularly for younger audiences. In my opinion, this one was a bit disappointing.
The book is jammed packed with information about every aspect of the Apollo Program focusing mostly on the Apollo I disaster, Apollo 11 and Apollo 13. But that strength is also its weakness. In many sections of the book, one feels as if she is reading a textbook. In an effort to present an accurate picture, the reader becomes lost in a sea of technical information.
The biographical sketches of the astronauts proved interesting as well as the tie in with the Cold War and the space race with the Soviets. The discussion of how NASA decided on spacecraft design and the team effort of government and private sectors is interesting for any reader. Most of the Charles River Editions are geared toward middle grade and young adult readers, but I think this one will turn most of that audience away. The diagrams and photos are an asset, but most readers will lose interest in the myriad of details. If the book had been written more as a story and less as a cut and paste collection of facts, it would merit a higher rating. The graphic detail of the Apollo I accident is too overwhelming for readers under age ten. Recommended especially for readers who have a definite interest in space science.
The book is jammed packed with information about every aspect of the Apollo Program focusing mostly on the Apollo I disaster, Apollo 11 and Apollo 13. But that strength is also its weakness. In many sections of the book, one feels as if she is reading a textbook. In an effort to present an accurate picture, the reader becomes lost in a sea of technical information.
The biographical sketches of the astronauts proved interesting as well as the tie in with the Cold War and the space race with the Soviets. The discussion of how NASA decided on spacecraft design and the team effort of government and private sectors is interesting for any reader. Most of the Charles River Editions are geared toward middle grade and young adult readers, but I think this one will turn most of that audience away. The diagrams and photos are an asset, but most readers will lose interest in the myriad of details. If the book had been written more as a story and less as a cut and paste collection of facts, it would merit a higher rating. The graphic detail of the Apollo I accident is too overwhelming for readers under age ten. Recommended especially for readers who have a definite interest in space science.
April 16, 2016
The subject matter was handled well and I learned a lot I didn't know even though I grew up during this time- I remember watching the first moon walk [if you think that has something to do with Michael Jackson you really need to read more history]. For instance I learned Eisenhower, not Kennedy, set the program in motion to get man to the moon. JFK's push was important but was not the start. I appreciate the way they avoided making politics personal and just reported facts concerning the space program.
I probably would have given it 5 stars but for the myriad of spelling errors and poor editing [especially grammar-wise and substitution of similarly spelled words for the obviously intended word]. Additionally some whole paragraphs were repeated verbatim in close proximity to one another.
All in all though I would recommend you read this fascinating but slightly flawed book.
I probably would have given it 5 stars but for the myriad of spelling errors and poor editing [especially grammar-wise and substitution of similarly spelled words for the obviously intended word]. Additionally some whole paragraphs were repeated verbatim in close proximity to one another.
All in all though I would recommend you read this fascinating but slightly flawed book.
January 11, 2016
Reads like an official findings report, because major portions of the book are exactly that. The Editors putting this together could have also done a bit more with their proofreading.
I enjoyed the Apollo Space Program while it was ongoing. Reading about the problems is similar to TV series Secret Space Escapes. It reminds us all of the complexity and dangers of exploring and venturing outside of Earth's gravity.
This book doesn't read all that interesting for pleasure reading, but I did appreciate the understanding of just what problems are out there. Not much emphasis on the successful portions of the program. But just as public interests died down as missions became routine, so does the reporting in this book.
Have a GoodReads.
I enjoyed the Apollo Space Program while it was ongoing. Reading about the problems is similar to TV series Secret Space Escapes. It reminds us all of the complexity and dangers of exploring and venturing outside of Earth's gravity.
This book doesn't read all that interesting for pleasure reading, but I did appreciate the understanding of just what problems are out there. Not much emphasis on the successful portions of the program. But just as public interests died down as missions became routine, so does the reporting in this book.
Have a GoodReads.
November 11, 2016
I've read many of the reviews on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and find them pretty accurate despite the fact that many have different views. I agree with many who talk about this book being more factual lacking of depth. To me there is no question that is true, but this is really what I had expected prior to starting the book. In some ways I was looking for this type of book so I gave a higher rating than some others.
That's not to say I wouldn't want a book that is more in-depth, however I think it would be difficult to explore the Apollo missions and achieve the level of depth that other readers would like to see. I intend to look at other Apollo related books, including biographies and the writings of the astronauts.
That's not to say I wouldn't want a book that is more in-depth, however I think it would be difficult to explore the Apollo missions and achieve the level of depth that other readers would like to see. I intend to look at other Apollo related books, including biographies and the writings of the astronauts.
January 8, 2016
There were some fascinating facts hidden in this poorly written history of the Apollo program. Initially, I was impressed with the depth of research and the personal touch provided by interviews with Houston staff and astronauts alike. However, it quickly became obvious that, not only was the book too dependent on quotes (perhaps about 60% of the overall book length), but it repeated itself thoroughly. There were entire sections lifted and repeated in several chapters. There were also numerous typos that changed the meanings, such as "if" for is, and "sued " for used. The book has good info, but will drive a discerning reader nuts!
January 13, 2016
I was somewhat disappointed with this book. The Apollo program is (as pointed out in the text) perhaps the greatest engineering achievement in human history. There's a lot of fascinating history associated with it. However, the text I felt quoted too much from NASA technical reports, had some repeated sections, and was overall not very engaging. The text seemed very oriented towards the "what-happened" and not enough, in my opinion, on the people and on the repercussions.
Most of the focus was on 3 particular events - the Apollo 1 disaster, the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the Apollo 13 incident.
Most of the focus was on 3 particular events - the Apollo 1 disaster, the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the Apollo 13 incident.
January 25, 2016
If you want technical details about the Apollo program, then this is your book! I found it interesting, but a little tedious. I did learn a lot that I didn't know before given this book for an honest review. I love NASA and the space program. I have been reading and dreaming about space since I was in grade school! That was after the Space Race, but during the era of the Challenger and the like. I have always wanted to learn about the Apollo Era, and this book gave me all of the technical details that I have always wondered about. The fire is explained and so are the triumphs. It is well written and researched.
March 25, 2016
This gets two stars from me because of the interesting primary source material included in the text. But the writing is horrendous and the proofreading almost non-existent, including a whole section at the end of the Apollo 13 chapter on 14, 15, 16, that was almost verbatim from the chapter before the 13 crisis chapter. As if the editor was deciding where to put that section and then forgot to delete one of them once the decision was made. Grammar and spelling errors abound which made it annoying to read. I got this free on Book Bub, so you get what you pay for, but although I've seen other books by these authors that look interesting, I know now that they aren't worth my time.
January 12, 2016
The book as several issues with how it was written. First the author literally (and I do mean literally) used passages in multiple locations. The exact same sections were pasted into several different spots multiple times. The next is the overly large amount of quoting that occurs. There is little to no summarizing or paraphrasing that occurs. Lastly after a well cited book (limited sources but well cited) that avoided opinions and speculation, the author makes claims about the state of American society without any source, ruining an otherwise decent book.
April 25, 2016
This was an excellent overview of the Apollo space program. It is not a long book (less than 200 pages) and it is by no means comprehensive. But it does give a good history of the Apollo space program from beginning to the last Apollo mission. I still remember the first time men walked on the moon in July 1969 (I was a month short of 6 years old) and so the space program has always fascinated me. It was good to read a short history of each Apollo mission and what was accomplished.
January 19, 2016
This book was anonymously "written" by an editorial collective. Unfortunately, it wasn't actually composed as a manuscript and never edited. It reads as a series of note cards constantly reshuffled, with many cards repeated several times.
However, if you can push through the repetition, poor composition, and typos, there is some good information here, and the photos are wonderful. Nothing new, but it's nice to have then in one place.
However, if you can push through the repetition, poor composition, and typos, there is some good information here, and the photos are wonderful. Nothing new, but it's nice to have then in one place.
January 10, 2016
Interesting read, but...
Like some of the other reviews, I found some repetition. I actually thought I was reading in the wrong place a few times, because the repeated paragraphs were literally verbatim of what I had previously read. Some bad grammar a few times to.
Still, I read through it quickly, found it interesting, and couldn't wait to get back to it.
Like some of the other reviews, I found some repetition. I actually thought I was reading in the wrong place a few times, because the repeated paragraphs were literally verbatim of what I had previously read. Some bad grammar a few times to.
Still, I read through it quickly, found it interesting, and couldn't wait to get back to it.
January 14, 2016
A good book for an introduction to the Apollo missions. At times it was a bit repetitive and astronauts statements had been copied and pasted in, along with mission reports. However it was interesting to read these to get a first hand view. Sometimes the book seemed to jump around in terms of missions. Overall an interesting read.
March 8, 2016
I grew up in the age of the Mercury program and as soon as I was old enough I was up at 4:00 AM watching the liftoffs from Cape Canaveral. This book brought to life a lot of things I never new about the Gemini and Apollo programs and how close to disaster some of the missions were. A good read for all those interested in space and it exploration.
January 22, 2016
This book covered the history of the Apollo program, but focused most of its space on the Apollo 1 fire, the Moon landing of Apollo 11, and the miracle of Apollo 13. Too many lines were taken up with official reports that were wordy and used terminology beyond comprehension of most of us. Also, small and large sections of text were repeated verbatim. Poor editing.
August 28, 2016
Apollo missions
A good book about the Apollo mission to the moon and all the good and bad moments that occurred. It's to bad that the public decided it wasn't interested in the moon anymore.
The book made me realize what went on during the Apollo mission beside landing on the moon.
A good book about the Apollo mission to the moon and all the good and bad moments that occurred. It's to bad that the public decided it wasn't interested in the moon anymore.
The book made me realize what went on during the Apollo mission beside landing on the moon.
August 22, 2016
I loved the information about the Apollo space program, but I was already familiar w/ most of it from other sources. It was the editing that was really problematic: there didn't seem to be any. I read the same few paragraphs about the Saturn V rockets many times, and the exact paragraph about the fates of the later Apollo missions. I'm guessing this was a free download, which is good.
November 16, 2016
Who ever edited this book failed badly. Poorly written, poorly proofread and poorly copied to digital. I am not sure how the hard copy was but the eBook was full of typo's, spelling errors, whole and partial paragraphs repeated... While the content was ok and I learned a few things about the space program most of this was dry. Not recommended.
January 9, 2016
Interesting book
The author summarizes the Apollo program very well. Uses quotes and photos from NASA to give us the facts. I noticed he repeats himself in several different parts in the book word for as in cut and past word for word.
The author summarizes the Apollo program very well. Uses quotes and photos from NASA to give us the facts. I noticed he repeats himself in several different parts in the book word for as in cut and past word for word.
January 22, 2016
Greatest Period In NASA History
The Apollo program was the greatest period in the history of NASA. Though it started with the Apollo 1 tragedy the Apollo program succeeded in it's goal of putting men on the moon and exploring it.
The Apollo program was the greatest period in the history of NASA. Though it started with the Apollo 1 tragedy the Apollo program succeeded in it's goal of putting men on the moon and exploring it.
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