Rocket Men
The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon
Viking, June 2009
This is a pilgrimage into the unknown. On 20 July 1969, man set foot on the moon. Motivated by politics, faith, science and wonder, the Apollo 11 mission was the greatest technical achievement of all time. It was the culmination of over a decade’s worth of money and effort from more than 400,000 staff and crew. “Rocket Men” follows the astounding story of the lunar project, beginning at its inception at the start of the Cold War and tracing it through to its finest hour with the first moon landing and the astronauts’ safe return. Through extensive interviews with astronauts, NASA staff and their families and never-before published documents, Craig Nelson presents an awe-inspiring human account of the voyage that changed the course of history. He takes us behind the scenes at Mission Control to describe every detail of the mission, from the astronauts’ moon excursion suits, which had five hundred parts and weighed no less than fifty pounds, to terrifying revelations, such as how Armstrong and Aldrin could have been left stranded on the moon when a vital switch snapped on the landing craft. “Rocket Men” is the inside story of one of the most perilous and rewarding undertakings in history.
“As a boy in 1969, I was fascinated when man landed on the moon. Now, forty years later, Craig Nelson has brought this gripping story to life. Relive the excitement in Rocket Men.”
—James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers
“A magnificent, very readable account … brightly illuminat[ing].”
—Booklist (starred)