Book Review: The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon by Bea Uusma Schyffert

The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon
by Bea Uusma Schyffert (j629.45 Sch)

This little gem of Apollo 11 Moon mission history is intended for middle graders but I found it informative and enjoyable, especially from the perspective of a ‘senior’ adult who witnessed the event via television as a 9-year-old. It combines photographs, quotes, drawings, comparison charts, mission data, and quick facts — all with an emphasis on the “The Story of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins” per the subtitle. Collins had the responsibility of piloting the command capsule multiple times around the moon while Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin landed on the surface and walked into epic history. Originally published in Sweden in 1999, just 30 years after the Moon Landing, this American edition came out in 2003. If you are at all interested in the space program (NASA in particular), the lives of astronauts, the history of technology, or anything associated with the “Right Stuff”, this is a wonderful presentation of it.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Apollo, The Epic Journey to the Moon by David West Reynolds or Apollo 11 directed by Douglas Miller.)

 

( Wikipedia page for Bea Uusma )

 

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

DVD Review: From the Earth to the Moon

From the Earth to the Moon

(DVD From)

 

I first saw this award-winning mini-series on HBO (had to first subscribe then I unsubscribed as soon as this series was over). Each segment aired weekly and I was in front of my TV with my VCR recording each one. When the DVD came out I bought that version as well. I was surprised to see no one at the library had yet reviewed this excellent series.

 

Based on A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin, this is one of my favorite shows about the space program, and mostly covers the Apollo Program. Each episode, introduced by Tom Hanks (except for the final one), is about a specific segment of the space race to the moon beginning with President Kennedy’s speech through the last of the Apollo flights. Along the way we learn about building the lunar lander (“Spider”) – this was so fascinating, personal, and humorous, who knew we’d care? – and a segment from the wives’ perspectives (“The Original Wives Club”).

 

The final disc is Bonus Material: the original trailers, Behind-the-Scenes, Special Effects, JFK’s speech, History of the Moon, interesting facts about space beyond our solar system, and famous astronomers.

 

The performances are excellent and they draw you right into the various stories. The soundtrack is ideal and sets the tone as well. If you decide to binge this in one sitting, set aside 12 hours (not including the Bonus disc).

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Apollo 13.)

 

(Also available — the Chaikin book that inspired this, in traditional print format.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this series )

 

See the One Small Step booklist on BookGuide, featuring a massive list of materials — fiction and non-fiction — about the Apollo program!

 

Recommended by Charlotte M.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you watched this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

DVD Review: When We Were Apollo

When We Were Apollo

(DVD 629.454 Whe)

 

For anyone interested in the United States history of the Space Race, this documentary is a must-see. As someone who has always been interested in the space program and NASA, I found this film to be a fascinating look at the men and women who made every mission possible. Growing up in the 1960s and watching each mission to the moon and back, it was interesting to me to see old news reels of each event interspersed with clips of major news events that were happening simultaneously with the space program and their effect on each other. I was especially moved by the interviews with men and women who were part of the program to land a man on the moon and hear their memories first-hand. It is important that we should remember the accomplishments of these people at a time when our country was in a technological war with the former Soviet Union in its efforts to get ahead in the space race. We still have many people alive today who can provide first-person accounts of the advancements made in the early years of NASA; now is the time to record those memories for future generations to learn from.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Apollo 13 or Hidden Figures.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film ) | ( official When We Were Apollo Twitter feed )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Moonshot by Brian Floca

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
by Brian Floca (j629.454 Flo)

Terrific picture-book non-fiction title from author/artist Brian Floca, using the simplest possible terminology (combined with beautiful and highly detailed artwork — both watercolor and acrylic) to capture the basic details of the Apollo 11 mission for young readers. Floca manages to capture the heightened emotional states, and the technical details of what was involved with Apollo 11, without overwhelming kids with too much minutiae.

The opening two-page spread at the front of the book, and the closing two-page spread at the back of the book both feature a lot of the scientific details that are glossed over in the main text. So, in addition to being a a simple but emotional story, this book also provided a true learning experience for kids. I really enjoyed this book!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to check out the extensive list of materials assembled as a booklist on the libraries’ BookGuide resources, called One Small Step… for tons of great Apollo 11 and NASA reading and viewing suggestions! For both adults AND youth!]

[ official Moonshot page on the official Brian Floca web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

New Booklist on BookGuide: One Small Step...

Back in July 2019, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of Man first stepping on the surface of the moon, during the Apollo 11 mission. Over the past 50 years, but especially in 2019 on that silver anniversary, numerous books have been produced that chronicled the history of NASA and the days before, during and after Project Apollo.

We've added an extensive booklist to the resources on BookGuide, listing all of the materials in the Lincoln City Libraries' collection that chronicle this subject -- books, DVDs, CDs, and even a unique and rare collection of newspaper/magazine articles on microfilm. If you've ever been fascinated by NASA's efforts to reach the Moon and expand the horizons of mankind's knowledge, you'll want to check out the many items included in this "booklist".

Check out the list of recommended materials at the following link: 

One Small Step...Non-Fiction and Fiction about Project Apollo

Book Review: Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm

Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight
by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm (629.454 Fet)

With last year, 2019, being the 50th anniversary of the first human moon landing — Apollo 11 — I had read quite a few books about that Apollo 11 mission in the spirit of commemorating the anniversary. Moonbound was the first book I read in 2020, after seeing it on our New Books display at the downtown library, and it started off the new year in a magnificent way.

Jonathan Fetter-Vorm is the author/illustrator of this graphic novel look at Apollo 11. He alternates chapters dealing with the build-up to and success of the Apollo 11 moon landing and return, with chapters dealing with various individuals and moments in history that highlight humans’ fascination with the moon (and astronomy) and with the development of the U.S. space program. The Apollo chapters are in full color, while the alternate chapters are all in monotone (for instance, B&W with blue highlights only, or B*W with orange highlights only). These alternate chapters deal with such diverse topics as Johannes Kepler, Nazi scientist Wernher Von Braun, Soviet rocket scientist Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the Mercury astronauts, Women in the early years of the astronaut program, Margaret Hamilton and the early human computers, and so much more.

Even though I consider myself a space enthusiast, I learned new things from reading this book. Fetter-Vorm’s art style is occasionally a bit crude, but he captures the likenesses of well-known historical figures — the astronauts, scientists, politicians, etc. — very well! And for covering events that took place decades ago, he manages to build up a serious amount of suspense and drama. I particularly appreciated his closing chapters, which talk about the role of the space program in the years after Apollo, and the ongoing historical debate over whether the entire Apollo program was an appropriate and effective use of taxpayer funds.

I found this an absolutely engrossing read. I especially recommend it for anyone looking for a good overview of the Apollo program, but who isn’t willing to commit themselves to a large, text-only format!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to check out the One Small Step booklist, filled with additional recommended materials for Apollo Program enthusiasts! (coming soon)]

[ official Moonbound page on the official Jonathan Fetter-Vorm web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

DVD Review: 8 Days: To the Moon and Back

8 Days: To the Moon and Back
(DVD 629.454 Eig)

Educational and entertaining at the same time, 8 Days is a docudrama. It takes archival video and still footage from CBS news and NASA, and recently declassified cockpit audio-recordings from the Apollo 11 capsule, and combines them with performances by three British actors as Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins, to recreate the 8-day journey of Apollo 11 from the launchpad to the the moon and back home. With 2019 being the 50th anniversary of this moon landing mission, many of the details this documentary covers may have already gotten some detailed coverage. But I’ll have to admit — though I watched a lot of other TV specials, and the Apollo 11 documentary that was released to theaters earlier this year, there were a few bits in this one that I’d never heard before, particularly the chit-chat between the astronauts as they flew. These are re-created here with the contemporary actors lip-synching (very effectively) to the original cockpit recordings!

The special effects shots of the Apollo 11 craft components in orbit around the moon add to the “magnificent desolation” that they experienced. My only complaint is that the actors who portrayed the three astronauts didn’t really resemble the actual men in any way whatsoever, so any time they were on screen, I wasn’t really sure who was playing who. Otherwise, highly recommended. It’s only 55 minutes long, and I wished it was a full two hours!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the documentary Apollo 11.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official 8 Days page on the BBC web site ]

See a number of other Apollo 11-related reviews in the July 2019 Staff Recommendations

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you watched this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!