Moon landing 50th anniversary
This Saturday 20 July marks 50 years since man first stepped on the Moon. Fifty years since ‘one small step for man’ – if you can believe it!
In honour of this momentous anniversary, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite books on space exploration to keep you reaching for the stars.
Apollo 11: The Inside Story by David Whitehouse
There’s no better time to take a deep dive into the inside story behind the Moon landing. David Whitehouse’s intriguing look at the astronauts, NASA engineers and political rivals that brought an end to the Space Race. Whitehouse uses interviews with the mission’s key players to reveal the true drama behind the famous mission in their own words, in what is arguably the most enthralling and authoritative book ever written about the story of Apollo.
Chasing the Moon by Robert Stone and Alan Andres
The journey from Cape Canaveral to the Moon was a tremendous achievement of human courage and ingenuity. It was also a long, deadly march, haunted by the possibility of catastrophic failure on the world’s stage. In their new book Chasing the Moon (a companion to the BBC series), Robert Stone and Alan Andres use eyewitness accounts and newly discovered archival materials to chart the unknown stories of the individuals who made the Moon landing possible, at a time of great scientific innovation, political calculation and media spectacle.
First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong by James Hansen
Now a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy, First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong is your first step to knowing more about the man behind those iconic words. Armstrong, who is a notoriously private individual, gave Hansen unprecedented access, resulting in 50 hours of interviews from which Hansen could draw his research, as well as allowing him exclusive access to private documents and family sources. This is a book that reveals the man behind the myth, and a unique, penetrating and compelling take on Armstrong’s complex legacy as the first man on the Moon.
Space Dogs by Martin Parr and Richard Hollingham
One for the animal lovers. Or, perhaps not? In the 1950s, the Space Race between the USA and the USSR was well and truly underway, with both superpowers hurtling towards space. But before people could safely step into outer space, their four-legged friends would have to pave the way. The first dog in space was Laika, a Russian stray, who was the first canine cosmonaut. Tragically, Laika died just hours into her journey; but her loss paved the way for scientists to learn how to safely transport living organisms in and out of space, knowledge that would result in man’s first trip to the Moon. Now, Laika is a hero, with her image appearing on stamps, postcards and souvenirs, and her name passing into the annals of space history.
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Are you fascinated by space missions and the moon landing, but find the science of it all a huge hurdle to your understanding? Anxious to brush up on your knowledge before the next big scientific space breakthrough? Does your dinner party conversation need work? Then Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is the book for you. Neil deGrasse Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in digestible chapters consumable any time and anywhere in the busy day.
The Planets by Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen
Get to know the other planets in our Solar System with The Planets, by Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen, a groundbreaking exploration of those familiar planets such as you’ve never seen before. Did you know that Venus, once thought to be lush and fertile, is actually trapped within a toxic and boiling atmosphere? Or that Uranus is an ‘ice giant’? Or that Neptune is whipped by supersonic winds? The Planets takes readers on a voyage of celestial discovery with fascinating facts and stunning space photography.
Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins
You know Neil Armstrong, you know Buzz Aldrin, but do you know Michael Collins? Collins was the third member of the Apollo mission to get man on the Moon, but his name is not as well known. Carrying the Fire is Collins’ story in his own words, a remarkable memoir and a compelling account of what it was like to be an integral part of the Apollo 11 mission to put man on the moon from someone who was there.
Spaceflight by Giles Sparrow and Buzz Aldrin
This book is a celebration of ingenuity, imagination and exploration that charts and salutes mankind’s experiences and adventures in space, from Sputnik’s launch in 1957 through the Apollo Moon landings and the International Space Station to future missions to Mars and beyond. Spaceflight chronicles how Sputnik sparked 60 years of exploration that revolutionised space travel permanently. This is a fascinating book for anyone who never considered how our explorations in space truly changed the way the world functions; for example, by opening Earth’s orbit, we were able to revolutionise communications – satellites, anyone?
