By Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Poor, 2008-11-26
I completely agree with Grober, there are just too many pictures of personnel and very few of Nasa in space.

By Philip's

Does what it says on the tin, 2009-01-04
Useful for locating the nearest dark place to have a look at the stars without the orange glow...... Simple but great bit of kit. I am sure there are people who use this map to plan holidays in the UK, I always have a look when planning a trip. Excellent.

Author: Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger
By Coronet Books

Great!!!, 2005-01-12
An outstanding account of the events of that week in April 1970. If you enjoyed the film, you'll love this book!

Author: Sir Patrick Moore
By The History Press

Author: Oliver Morton
By Fourth Estate Ltd

Best popular science book for 20 years., 2008-09-09
This is the best science book I've read for 20 years, comparable in scope to "The Making of the Atomic Bomb' by Richard Rhodes. It tackles a fascinating, low-profile field, the molecular machinery of photosynthesis, and the history of its elucidation, and then traces all the tangents and implications of that knowledge: the evolution of photosynthesis and its impact on the earth's atmosphere; the co-evolution of plants and animals; the requirements and nature of life on other planets and in other solar systems; the complexity of the carbon-cycle and its interactions with the nitrogen cycle, temperature, volcanism, the weathering of mountains, ice ages, ice-caps, prairies, forests. When at last he arrives at the current carbon/climate crisis you feel really equipped to comprehend the scale of the changes going on and weigh up the merits of all the different energy sources that have been proposed as solutions to the crisis and to the end of fossil fuels. All this territory could be either incredibly dry and dull (I could never stay awake in lectures about plants when I was doing a degree in biology) or sensationalist in its prediction of future catastrophe. But Morton manages to make even the science of electron transport chains fascinating and indeed lyrical, and his take on the environmental situation is sober, compelling and not without hope. Should be required reading for everyone on the planet. At the very least everyone taking a degree in biological sciences.

Author: Andrew Chaikin, Andrew Chaiken
By HNA Books

Author: James D. Dean, Bertram Ulrich
By HNA Books

Author: Michael H. Gorn, Foreword by Buzz Aldrin
By Merrell Publishers

A Welcome History of NASA, 2006-03-21
Michael Gorn offers the educated reader and specialist alike an engaging historical account of NASA and the space age. NASA: The Complete Illustrated History is written a lively way, never avoiding complex technical themes, but unfailingly making these same themes highly accessible to the lay person. The reader learns that NASA became an extraordinary bureaucratic entity--to be remembered as the highly motivated federal agency that fulfilled John F. Kennedy's epic promise to land men on the Moon and assure their safe return before the decade of the 1960s ended. Richly illustrated, the book is a welcome addition to the historical literature on space exploration. Gorn paints the history of NASA on a broad canvas, introducing the reader to the pivotal pre-Sputnik incarnation of the organization, when NASA was known as NACA and played a creative role on the cutting edge of aviation design. Gorn's vivid narrative tells this story as a prelude to the dramatic era of space exploration in the turbulent decade of the 1960s. This comprehensive approach gives the book unique character, allowing the reader to comprehend the entire sweep of aerospace history. No less important, Gorn is attentive to the role of key personalities, some known and others lesser known to the general public. One of the most impressive dimensions of this beautifully designed book is the masterful way it matches images to the story line of the text. The most stunnning illustrations are the color images showcasing the Apollo and Shuttle flights: the reader acquires a keen appreciation for the technical sophistication of rocketry and the sheer size/drama of space flight. I enthusiastically endorse this book as a meaningful way to gain an appreciation of the origins, development, and impact of NASA on the twentieth century.

Von Hardesty
National Air and Space Museum
Washington, D.C.

Author: Dinah L. Moché
By John Wiley & Sons

excellent well written book, 2008-03-08
I found this book really well written. Dinah knows her stuff and more importantly how ot teach it to others. The text is easy to follow I'ts a mine of information, any bits you might have difficulty with are exlpained in plain english, there are lots of diagrams and charts, maths is kept to a minimum and the self tests are very good for checking your progress, the star maps at the back of the book are very useful. The only criticism I have is that the photographs appear to be from the original 1978 printing in black and white and low definition, I wouild have expected better in 2008

Author: Deborah Cadbury
By HarperPerennial

Space Race, 2006-11-29
It was the greatest race of the 20th century ... the race to rule the heavens ... a race between the two superpowers, Russia and the USA. It is an explosive thriller of international espionage and treachery. A dual biography of two driven men with one ambition; the brilliant Russian rocket designer Sergei Korolev and the German rocket genius Werner von Braun.
Falsely accused under the brutal Stalin regime of disruptive activities and forced to give a false confession, Korolev was sentenced to 10 years in the worst of the Gulag camps (network of labour camps) situated on the fringes of the Arctic Circle in Siberia where thousands died each month. Korolev survived and eventually good sense prevailed as the Russians realised this brilliant man had the ability to translate fundamental principles of physics into rocket design. But so fearful were the Russians that the West could assassinate Korolev he was known only as the "Great Desiner" and constantly shadowed by the KGB.
Werner von Braun was the designer of the fearsome V-2 rocket that had targeted London during the Second World War. When the conflict ended the USA for political and military requirments cynically secured his talents along with his fellow German scientists. But it wasn't until John F Kennedy was elected president that his dream of a Moon landing came closer.
After many risky and often fatal experiments, two men finally left the cradle of Earth and left their first footpints on another world ... the airless Moon
Set against the dark days of the Second World War and the Cold War years Space Race is a truly splendid read ... a gripping read. I found it hard to put down. I am sure you will too.