National Network for Equitable Library Service

The Apollo Moon landings have been called the last optimistic act of the twentieth century. Twelve astronauts made this greatest of all journeys, and all were indelibly marked by it. Journalist Smith reveals the stories of the nine still living men caught between the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Earth's collective dreaming: we relive the flashbulbs, the first shocking glimpse of Earth from space, the sense of euphoria and awe. This was the first global media event, and the astronauts were its superstars. They had been schooled by NASA for deep space but were completely unprepared for fame. Marriages crumbled under the strain. The wild and happy sixties gave way to the cynicism and self-doubt of the seventies, and the Moonwalkers faced their greatest challenge: how to find meaning in life when the biggest adventure you could possibly have was a memory.