I enjoyed this read and it took me back to my childhood when I collected all of the newspaper articles about the Gemini and Apollo Missions, I had an uncle who worked on the design of the rockets used for each program until the late seventies and so I was following each mission. I also had a parent who would always tell me of the different items that we had because of the program because it was developed and used first for the space program and then moved into the public years later, he worked for the government in computers and other departments so I was just excited about everything including the Seals were the ones who retrieved the Astronauts from the ocean. Here in this book all of the information took me back to those moments and much more. A very good read.

We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo moon landing. For those who missed it, there was plenty of buzz surrounding the event, with a release of high-definition video footage as feature-length documentary film, and plenty of books about the historic event. I followed much of it, read many of the books, and so I didn't think I was going to learn many new things about the Apollo program with this book, but I wanted to read it because the event was memorable for me.

I was wrong. I learned a lot.

I didn't know that there had been another spacecraft (not of U.S. origin) orbiting the moon when Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins were in orbit and the lunar module was about to make a descent.

I didn't know who manufactured the spacesuits used for the first lunar expedition (and how they were chosen).

I didn't know that a 25 year-old student with a notebook of handwritten notes had the power to abort the mission in the very last seconds and was asked if they needed to abort.

These are just a couple of items that come in the early pages of the book. Author Charles Fishman touches on many subjects, but gets pretty in-depth on a few, such as President Kennedy's thoughts and support for the Apollo program, and some of the mechanics of how the venture was put together.

Because computers and computer technology are so prevalent today (how many teens don't have a cell phone?) there are generations of people out there who don't remember or don't know that computers in 1968 were the size of warehouses. The process of designing a spaceship and lunar landing module, with all the necessary parts, for a mission that really our best scientists only had theories as to what was needed, is just incredible. The story of the computer - trimming down a warehouse sized device to a cubic foot, with the power to plot and re-calculate course adjustments and fuel burn (today's counter-top microwave has more computing power than the Apollo space flight onboard computer) was quite fascinating.

I'm of the right age to really appreciate this book. A child of the 60's, I can still remember where I was and my reactions to watching the grainy, black and white footage of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon and the interminable wait for him to go out and walk around. Learning more about all that had to happen to make this momentous event, is a treat.

For my children, who grew up in an age when man had already been to the moon, where we've retired space shuttles, and we have SpaceX and re-useable booster rockets, and are planning a mission to Mars - this seems like antique mechanics and about as much fun as reading ancient history in school.

But this is a book I would recommend and a book I will reference when talking about NASA and space and our future exploring the solar system and beyond.

Looking for a good book? Charles Fishman's One Giant Leap is an excellent resource and history of how we got to the moon.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps you have seen the new movie titled Apollo 11? It is a great factual reminder of events leading to the moon landing and also a help to visualizing those described in ONE GIANT LEAP by Charles Fishman. The best-selling author of other non-fiction titles (The Big Thirst, The Wal-mart Effect) strives to inspire readers with the story of "the impossible mission that flew us to the moon." He begins by stressing how little we knew about space travel when Kennedy issued his famous challenge. Fishman notes, "The astronauts went to the Moon and their skill and courage is undeniable, and also well-chronicled. But the astronauts aren't the ones who made it possible to go to the Moon. ... That extraordinary accomplishment was done by ordinary people ... Theirs is a story with unexpected surprises at every turn." For example, he points out that only three people were trained and licensed to fold by hand the recovery parachutes so they were forbidden from riding together in order to avoid an accident. And, astronauts relied on miniaturized, state-of-the art computers while also utilizing paper checklists and star charts. Fishman discusses the contributions of the space program – aside from achieving the Moon landing mission – like the use of integrated circuits and real-time computing, re-emphasizing his theme and saying, "The race to the Moon took developments and technologies and trends that most of the rest of the world, most of the rest of the economy, didn't know about and magnified them, and helped make their significance and value clear well beyond space travel." More than twenty-five percent of this extensively researched text is filled with notes, a bibliography, index and photographs. ONE GIANT LEAP received a starred review from Library Journal.

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One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us to the Moon by Charles Fishman tells the story of the Americans who fought tooth and nail to accomplish the task of sending me to the moon, and bringing them safely back to Earth.

I’ve read many books about the space program, not nearly as much as other enthusiasts, but enough to hold on to a simple conversation. Being that this year is the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, an event which to me is still as exciting as it was back then, there is a lot of material, much of it new (to me) being published.

I had no idea what to expect from One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us to the Moon by Charles Fishman, I thought that it would be another book, rehashing to space program up to the mid-1970s, than complaining about the lack of advancement, than making a push for lunar exploration/meteor excavation/space tourism/Mars mission.

What I got instead was a behind the scenes stories of those that help get men to the moon, several cool anecdotes (the American flag was an afterthought) and the impact the space program had, which we feel to this day. The extraordinary book starts with something that I’ve been actually wandering about for a while: what does the moon smell like? This was my favorite part because I could imagine myself sitting with astronauts telling this very personal story.

The author goes on to describe how NASA had to invent management processes for such a huge project, which involved up to 20,000 separate companies, all told from the perspective of a few people in upper management. A very interesting, insightful, and readable section which could very easily be made into its own book.

Even though people these days don’t realize it, we all benefited from the space program, the book has a whole section which tells of the earthly accomplishments be it ball point pens of the sharp drop in computer chips which help usher in the digital age much quicker. As in everything, there is the bad side as well, the huge amount of money spent on the space program could have been used elsewhere (even though, that’s not how it works), the book does not shy away from this issue either, and, while not discussing it in depth, at least acknowledges that it exists.

More than anything, this book puts the Apollo mission in the social and political context of today’s world. The immense achievements we live with today, the inspiration of generations and management of large projects are just a few things which we owe to the space program.

On July 20, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.  In 1969, the odyssey of Apollo 11 seemed to some of us the realization of the American dream. I have a joyful remembrance of watching the grainy TV footage, and nowadays I feel a deep sadness that NASA’s space shuttle program was canceled. I will attend a  Moon Landing theme party on July 20, where we will play Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” on vinyl; make a batch of imitation Space Food Sticks (a predecessor of energy bars); and play a round of Moon Trivial Pursuit (we all bring trivia cards).

And let me recommend Charles Fishman’s new book, "One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us to the Moon," a meticulously researched history entwined with vivid details that tell a fast-paced story. Fishman begins by telling us the moon has a smell. After walking on the moon, the astronauts, Neil Armstrong and and Buzz Aldrin, noticed the dust they had tracked in smelled “like wet ashes,” or like “a firecracker” that had gone off.

Did you know that John F. Kennedy was, in some respects, responsible for the moon landing? In 1961 he told reporters at a press conference that Americans would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. In part, this was a reaction to the Cold War space race: Russians had just sent the first man into space, and Europeans were mocking the Americans.  Kennedy’s advisors and NASA scientists had first confirmed to him that putting a man on the moon was the only way to beat the Russians.

This was an incredible achievement. In 1961 NASA had not done even the preliminary research for travel to the moon, so hundreds of thousands of scientists, engineers, MIT geniuses, seamstresses, computer whizzes, craftsmen, and builders worked together. The craftsmanship was prodigious. The spaceship was built by hand, women were hired to knit the wires for the computer by hand, the Playtex bra company designed the space suits and women sewed them by hand , and the parachutes were also sewed by hand.  And eight years the first men landed on the moon.

Fishman stresses that the Apollo missions had a revolutionary effect on the culture of the ‘60s, which simultaneously embraced rock music, the Civil Rights movement, the Women’s movement, the environmental movement, protests against the war in Vietnam, science, science fiction, popular TV shows like Star Trek, Lost in Space, and  Laugh-in.  It was a time of daring and boldness, as well as a time of the terrible tragedies of the assassinations of JFK, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King.

And  NASA drove the computer chip business, which powered the space shuttle computers and drove the price of chips way down,  which drove the market for home computers eventually.  The chips began to be used in electronic appliances.  Before Apollo 11, transistors were cheaper.

The trip to the moon was hailed by some as thrilling and necessary, by others a waste of money. But Fishman points out that the money spent on Apollo 11 would never have gone to the fighting of poverty and other important issues anyway.

I learned so much from Fishman’s book.  An excellent page-turner!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review. This is a good history of America's moon landing. The narrative seems to jump around a bit so the timeline is not consistent. The author tends to spend quite a lot of time discussing the computer development along with the software from MIT. While that was obviously important to the endeavour it tends to be boring to the average reader.

We learned the story of our trip to the moon in school and have seen it on TV but most don't understand how truly monumental the obstacles overcome to get there were. One Giant Leap: The Untold Story Of How We Flew To The Moon looks at our huge accomplishments on the trip from Earth to the moon and back.

Taking One Giant Leap

When President Kennedy committed to sending Americans to the moon by the end of the '60s, few understood just how big of a challenge it would be. One Giant Leap explores the many things that had to happen to allow us to beat the Soviets and take us on a historic journey.

The technical challenges were simply astounding. Much of the book is spent giving a detailed look at just how hard it was to pack the needed power into a mission to the moon and back. It's an interesting look at just how far technology had to come in order to make it all happen.

Politics played a huge role in our goal of reaching the moon, and One Giant Leap looks at both the public role they played, along with personal for presidents and those at NASA.

Some Reasons To Consider Aborting

The last chapter was unneeded. It's mostly mindless babbling on and on and on like a drunken man on a street corner. It feels like every bit of information that didn't fit elsewhere in the story was simply shoved in at the end.

Many of the chapters dragged endlessly. The point was made, but then additional words were added, which didn't benefit the concepts conveyed. Much of the book could have been cut without loss. Pulling out 150-200 pages certainly would have been possible, while still telling the same story.

There was also a lot of circling back. Frequently touching on something then coming back to it several times in a chapter, rather than telling that story and moving on.

In the final chapter, the author really brings in his personal feelings, which weren't really present throughout the rest of the book. He's upset that the American public seemed to lose interest in NASA after the original mission was accomplished. While he blamed the loss of attention on the American people, he placed none of the responsibility on NASA themselves. They failed at marketing and PR around those future missions. They failed to tell us why we should care and where we were headed next. They're the reason we lost interest.

Prepare For Lift-Off

Overall, One Giant Leap is an interesting read that tells the story of the mission to the moon, which includes details most of us haven't heard before. While it runs a bit long and the final chapter could be done away with, it's still worth the investment for those who are interested in one of the most historic accomplishments humans have ever achieved.

One Giant Leap by Charles Fishman was received direct from the publisher. The moon landing, decreed to happen by a President, shown live on national television, yet some still do not believe it happened, and since we have been there, we know the Moon has a smell unlike other smells. Anyway, this book is about, of coourse the moon landing, but as well, all of the support staff that a moon landing Project + certified manager would have to corral to make this event happen, let along go off smoothly. If you lived through the moon race or just want to learn about how such a project got completed, certainly read this book.

5 Stars

From the beginning, histories of Apollo have focused on the astronauts and their in-flight experiences. That’s understandable, but Charles Fishman is fascinated with the rest of the iceberg, the vast program America mobilized to land one man on the moon.

Fishman also wants to situate the program in the ’60s. We went to the moon while also fighting a war in Vietnam and watching an unprecedented social upheaval. No wonder most Americans thought we had a better use for that $4 billion a year — and no wonder the demand for a succeeding mission has yet to bring one about. If the space program had only 45% support when it was about to make history, what does it have today?

While it's obvious that the 1960s space program didn’t lead to the far-out achievements that enthusiasts anticipated — a permanent moon base, a Mars landing — Fishman argues that it was a decisive spur to U.S. technology, that in a sense you carry the legacy of Apollo in your pocket.

To track the moon missions, writes Fishman, NASA built “the world’s first dedicated high-speed data network.” 2,300 people were staffed to run the network alone, which allowed Mission Control to remain in near-constant radio contact with the astronauts and to track their ship with a precision greater even than the spaceships themselves were able to manage.

Fishman also devotes fascinated attention to what was considered “the fourth crew member” on Apollo: the computer the astronauts used to deliver data and control their ship. You’ll appreciate 2001 in a whole new light after reading Fishman’s description of how revolutionary it was for anyone in the 1960s to be interfacing live with a computing device, let alone one tasked with performing critical functions. Engineers had to not only design and build a compact computer with power that was then unprecedented, they had to design an interface using only a limited keypad and a series of calculator-style numeral displays.

This readable, eye-opening chronicle is easy to recommend to anyone who's curious about the vast achievements of the Apollo program: those you know, and those you don't.

One Giant Leap is a wonderful overview of the space race that put us on the moon. Charles Fishman has done a gifted job bringing the story to life!

One Giant Leap tells the story of the moon landing from a behind-the-scenes perspective, leaving the big picture plot points behind for the nitty gritty details many of us are unaware of. To say the trip to the Moon was a difficult task would be an understatement. The narrative shows the moon landing as one of those impossible tasks your overbearing boss sets for you, assuming you can complete it in a quarter of the necessary time, on budget and in a race with your primary competitor. It’s a fascinating take on a story that has become the most behemoth American legend since the revolution.

I was most impressed with the author’s juxtaposition of American culture alongside the complexities of creating a space program from scratch. We’ve heard all about the takeoff, the first steps, and the flag going into the ground, but it’s hard to grasp the feeling of the nation as these things were taking place. It was one of the most volatile times in our history, and the book highlights every detail of the public’s unwillingness to support spaceflight in the middle of multiple wars and the every present threat of the Soviet Union. We get a focus on Kennedy and the reasons why he was so adamant we make it to the moon and back. We see the multiple advances in spaceflight prior to the moon landing along with the cultural mindset revolving around those events. The race to space was a grueling journey against scientific capabilities, budgetary constraints, and a lack of public support. It really is remarkable the space program every really took off.

The author takes the story down to the personal level, often leaving behind the major players to focus on the many men and women who worked countless hours to make the mission happen. We get the perspective of the spacesuit designers and their anxiety as the astronauts hopped around in their brand new suits. We learn about the horrors of a missing hyphen and how it can destroy an exorbitantly expensive spaceship. Above all, we see how hard people worked and how that teamwork made the biggest difference in the end.

Overall, One Giant Leap is an excellent look at what it takes to complete an impossible journey to an impossible destination.

Review to be published on 6/12: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2019/06/12/one-giant-leap-book-review

One Giant Leap is a story of how and why the United States of America beat the Soviet Union to the moon. It tells why by detailing the sociological, economic and political background during the 1950s into the 1960s that made the effort necessary. The Cold War was a dominant factor in citizens’ consciousnesses...and America was lagging behind their enemy! Freedom or tyranny was at stake! The writing is not pretentious. Although well researched, the book is easy to follow and filled with lots of interesting facts, such as how many of the critical elements like astronauts’ space suits were sewn by hand, how the wire that carried the computer instructions was hand woven into the circuits, and how pictures of Playboy Playmates made the trip. For this reader who lived through the period it was a wonderful refresher course of the history occurring in my younger years...Vietnam, civil rights, and the assassinations of Medgar Evers, the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King. The book recounts the debate within the Kennedy administration, the meetings, the players, LBJ’s role, how James Webb was selected to head NASA. Once the decision was made the how do we do this questions began. The technology simply didn’t exist. Weight was an issue because as the author points out it took three pounds of fuel to launch one pound of supplies. Navigation problems had to be addressed, current computing capabilities had to be overcome. The chapters on the development of an interactive computer and how to program it alone are worth the price of this book. Methods to keep the astronauts alive going, during and returning had to be designed...spacesuits, cabin atmosphere, the ability to rendezvous, a functional heat shield, the lunar lander and a vehicle to explore the moon’s surface. Focusing on the unsung engineers, mathematicians, suppliers, as well as the politics behind the Apollo project’s ultimate success that seldom are showcased adds great depth to the biggest story of this reader’s lifetime. It was expensive, but was it worth the cost? The last two scheduled missions were canceled because of budget concerns, so was all that expended effort worthwhile? What exactly was gained? I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book. Most highly recommend.