A straightforward account of 1969's voyage to the moon, the text also details the turbulent historical context: the Vietnam War, race riots, Cuban-American relations, etc. A brief explanation of the American space program following the Apollo missions and the challenges facing the program today are also discussed. Clean design, including many photographs and occasional sidebars, makes the information easy to access. Bib., ind.

Both triumphant and tragic, the events included in the Odysseys in History series highlight moments that changed the course of human history. This volume is devoted to telling a story that many Americans still vividly remember e moon landing. The tension and tumult that were hallmarks of the 1960s are clearly described in the introduction, and the subsequent chapters use this framework as a guiding theme. Aerospace engineering challenges, the larger-than-life personalities of the astronauts, and ensuing conspiracy theories are all discussed. Quotes from politicians, scientists, and eyewitnesses fill the margins, and full-color period photographs bring the story to life. The strength of this series is its contextualization of events, thoroughly detailing both the causes and the aftermath of its main subject, and driving home the point that no historical event occurs in isolation.