How Apollo Flew to the Moon: Springer Praxis Books

I've been interested in Apollo since I was a kid and have read a number of books on the program over the years. Each one made me long for something else that was just out of reach regarding the subject. I didn't ever expect to find a book that would cover the things that I had questions about. Or even have answers to questions I had never thought of. But - this is that book."How Apollo Flew to the Moon" takes one of the most complex undertakings in the history of civilization and makes it graspable. It explains everything from the types of film in the cameras onboard to the wheels on the lunar rover. With diagrams and hundreds of photos it is an absolute joy to read and has given me an unbelievable amount of new insight on a subject I have read about for years. (Who could wish for more from a book!)The author obviously knows his material but more importantly he knows his audience. He keeps the technical jargon down to a minimum (which is quite an accomplishment considering the subject) and lends a human dimension when explaining very complex ideas and mathematics.This is the nuts and bolts of how the US put men on the moon - from Kennedy's proclamation to splashdown - and as far as I know it is the best book available when it comes to explaining it.Essential reading for anyone interested in the Apollo missions.

Because these `independent' reviews are so useful I thought I'd do mine.`How Apollo Flew to the Moon' is given instant credibility because Apollo astronaut David Scott wrote the Forward and for space fans do you need to know anything else? It follows a complete Apollo mission and is written like a text book in that the Chapters contain lots and lots of `sub' Chapters which enables you to read a bit, put it down for a while and then easily pick up the story up again. I can get lost and bored with some books but this is immensely readable.It is an excellent book if you like all the Technical and Engineering information about all the hardware and has lots of sketches photographs and photos astronauts took on the moon. But don't be put off by that because there are loads and loads of the conversations between the astronauts as well!Something I've always wondered about is how from blasting off the moon the Lander was able to find the Service Module? Well all the information about navigation trajectory and burns is here. There are even two pages of definitions for all the LM computer programs.Most importantly there are loads of new facts, like I never knew they carried a radioactive cylinder which was taken off the outside of the LM on the moon and then placed in the ALSEP so providing its electricity.Finally and most importantly if you ever have those tiny (2.am and in bed) nagging doubts like "did we really go to the moon?" then this emphatically answers the question. America DID put a man on the moon, who walked about its surface and then came home safely........not for the idiots who think it was all a hoax!

I don't normally write reviews, but this book deserves one, because it's simply amazing.It is crammed with detailed information that is technical enough for geeks to appreciate but explained so well that most laymen would have no problem interpreting it.Everything is described in detail, from the architecture, the methods and procedures, preparations, systems, checklists, navigation, launch sequence, rocket science, orbital mechanics, TLI, LOI, TEI, the vehicles, the landing, rendezvous and reentry.His prose is exceptionally clear and concise - it has to be because there's so much info to communicate.I loved the examples, anecdotes and excerpts from the voice track.This book is worth every penny, in fact i'd call it a bargain!Well done Mr Woods, sterling job sir.

A very in depth description of the whole Apollo program with some amazing insights into how NASA solved the inumberable problems of achieving the goal of 'getting a man to the moon before the end of the decade'.

If you are (like me) fascinated by the subject of Apollo, you will NOT be disappointed by this book. It's packed with information that I hadn't known about before and is extremely detailed and accurate about how this remarkable event in history was achieved. Not so much why (cold war, politics, Kennedy etc) but how. The methods NASA invented to overcome certain obstacles were often remarkable (and occasionally rather Heath-Robinson) and they are all revealed here in fascinating detail. It's highly technical in parts but don't be put off, Woods is a good explainer. Now I've read it, I shall use it to refer back to, almost like a reference book.Thoroughly recommended.

Technically satisfying but utterly readable. A great addition to this Apollo nut's bookshelf.

Amazing book. Describes in minute details the technology developed specifically for the challenge they faced. A must read for every nerd engineer.

Großartiges Buch. Wer die technischen Details des Apollo Programms wissen will ist hier genau richtig. Das Buch ist auch 50 Jahre nach den Mondlandungen spannend zu lesen. Ich bin ein Kind dieser Zeit (Jahrgang 1958) und bin begeistert viele neue Details erfahren und buchstäblich die Flüge miterlebt zu haben. Ich kann dieses Buch jedem empfehlen, der sich mit der Apollo Technik und Geschichte eingehender befassen möchte. Ergänzende Angaben der beteiligten Astronauten während der Flüge sowie bei den De-Briefings geben weitere faszinierende Einblicke in diese spannende Phase der menschlichen Geschichte wieder.

Eccellente guida sulle operazioni del programma Apollo. Questo eccellente libro descrive in una quantità di dettagli notevole tutte le operazioni di una tipica missione Apollo, dal lancio all'allunaggio e ritorno. Vengono dati dettagli tecnici e aneddoti, man mano che vengono descritte le varie fasi del volo.Ammetto che mi aspettavo una trattazione più tecnica di certi dettagli, ma c'è da dire che se fosse stato così ci sarebbe stato meno spazio per menzionare l'enorme quantità di dettagli necessari a portare un equipaggio umano sulla Luna!Il testo è accessibile ed è consigliato a tutti, in particolare gli appassionati si scienza, ingegneria e astronautica.

Des détails et extraits de transcriptions de missionsChapitres clairs et retraçant les missions vers et sur la lune de manière chronologiqueDivers aspects de navigation et de conception des différents éléments composant les missions ApolloExcellente compilation de toutes les informations disponible mais éparpilléesEn Anglais mais accessible

I was 10 years old when Apollo 11 landed on the moon and I've been a space buff my entire life. This book is by far the most informative essay on the Apollo program I've ever seen. Enough detail for the technically inclined interspersed with some amazing human narrative. I learned so many things I never knew about the missions and the technology of the spacecraft. An absolute must read for anyone even moderately interested in the space program.