Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon

This was an excellent book for anyone who is interested in the efforts to be the first to reach the moon. I have been a space junkie from the times my Mom would keep us home from school to watch the Mercury and Gemini launches. I was reminded of many things I observed and realized that my memories of the flights were from the perspective of a child. Hearing about the same events from the perspective of those who participated... Read Full Review

This review is based on the original (1994) hardback edition. This book is much more than a history of the space program from about 1957 to 1975. It includes the inspirational determination for Shepard to fly again and for Slayton to fly even once. I had the pleasure of meeting Alan Shepard and getting his autograph on this book. The book captures the intensity of the space race. When Shepard saw Sputnik 1 (or, more probably,... Read Full Review

This book is much more than a history of the space program from about 1957 to 1975. It includes the inspirational determination for Shepard to fly again and for Slayton to fly even once. I had the pleasure of meeting Alan Shepard and getting his autograph on this book. The book captures the intensity of the space race. When Shepard saw Sputnik 1 (or, more probably, the upper-level rocket stage also in orbit), he chagrined... Read Full Review

There was a time when astronauts didn't have to be pointy headed scientists or politically correct public relations diplomats. Moonshot captures the rough and tumble, fiercely competitive early days of the Cold War space program better than most. The real space business was much more rugged and and cruel than the public relations machine of NASA told us. The "perfect specimens" selected for the Original Seven astronaut corps... Read Full Review

Great book! You get the point of view of two who were on the inside (Shepherd and Slayton) and two reporters who help make the story flow. The wording replicates the true drama of the moments as if you were actually there during the key moments in America's drive to land men on the moon. You'll swear you are beside Alan Shepherd as the Apollo 14 LEM descends toward the moons surface as the computer and radar problems amount... Read Full Review