Destination Moon : The Remarkable and Improbable Voyage of Apollo 11

The history of NASA's Apollo program from Earth orbital missions to lunar landings in a propulsive nonfiction narrative.

Only now, it is becoming clear how exceptional and unrepeatable Apollo was. At its height, it employed almost half a million people, many working seven days a week and each determined that “it will not fail because of me.”

Beginning with fighter pilots in World War II, Maurer traces the origins of the Apollo program to a few exceptional soldiers, a Nazi engineer, and a young eager man who would become president.

Packed with adventure, new stories about familiar people, and undeniable danger, Destination Moon takes an unflinching look at a tumultuous time in American history, told expertly by nonfiction author Richard Maurer.

*"An absorbing, insightful, solidly informative resource for readers who want to understand the U.S. space program from the ground up."—Booklist, starred review

*"Inspiring, fascinating, and, like the millions of parts that had to function for the space program to succeed, practically perfect."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review