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View From Above: An Astronaut Photographs the World
This majestic National Geographic photography book offers a spectacular view of Earth from outer space, featuring aerial imagery taken from the International Space Station by NASA astronaut Terry Virts.
Few people get the experience of seeing the world from outer space--and no one has taken as many pictures of Earth from above as Terry Virts. Celebrated NASA astronaut, pilot of the space shuttle, crew member on Soyuz, and commander of the International Space Station, Virts has spent more than 200 days in space--and very few of those days went by without his reaching for his camera.
Now as never before, Virts shares the astronaut's view of the world, offering astounding aerial views of our planet and the vastness that surrounds it. The colors, shapes, details--and the stories they tell--are endlessly fascinating. Virts's book marries his stunning photographs with glimpses of everyday life in orbit. And amid this amazing show of Earth spectacles, he reflects on how the astronaut's point of view has shaped his life and spirit. Filled with magnificent photographs that will astonish and inspire, this book--and its intrepid author--becomes our guide to a new way of looking at the world.
Few people get the experience of seeing the world from outer space--and no one has taken as many pictures of Earth from above as Terry Virts. Celebrated NASA astronaut, pilot of the space shuttle, crew member on Soyuz, and commander of the International Space Station, Virts has spent more than 200 days in space--and very few of those days went by without his reaching for his camera.
Now as never before, Virts shares the astronaut's view of the world, offering astounding aerial views of our planet and the vastness that surrounds it. The colors, shapes, details--and the stories they tell--are endlessly fascinating. Virts's book marries his stunning photographs with glimpses of everyday life in orbit. And amid this amazing show of Earth spectacles, he reflects on how the astronaut's point of view has shaped his life and spirit. Filled with magnificent photographs that will astonish and inspire, this book--and its intrepid author--becomes our guide to a new way of looking at the world.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2017
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274 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 19, 2018
Beautiful photography! Amazing stories. A must read.
January 30, 2018
This beautiful book is full of gorgeous pictures of our beautiful world, mostly taken from the unique perspective of the International Space Station. Terry Virts was there when Scott Kelly began the year-long mission about which I read recently. It was fun to read more about people who already seemed familiar, and some of the same stories I remembered from the other book. But this book takes a different approach. More pictures and fewer words (all clean), to begin with. Also, it is arranged thematically, not chronologically, so there is some repetition of episodes that is a little awkward. But the photography is just wonderful, and the author's appreciation for the earth and for his experiences in space is inspiring.
June 14, 2020
The Title is Misleading, the book should be called "views of Terry Virts". The book Contain more pictures and selfies of Virts than views of the planet -at first count is 53 pictures of Virts and his fellows versus 20 (plus minus) full images of the earth. Virts Ego (which seems to be heavier than the mass of the Tao particle ) overshadow the premise of the book - seeing the earth from space, by a long shot. I am extremely dissapointed and I certainly do not recommend that book. to those who look for better book I would recommend "the planets".
August 14, 2018
This was a fantastic read! Astronaut Terry Virts spoke about his time in space so vividly and with so many details that it was easy to imagine what he was feeling at the time. The pictures were also stunning and had great captions!
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February 15, 2018calm app sleep story 2/14/18 after watching Apollo 13 tonight.
September 13, 2022
Amazing photographs, humorous storytelling, easy and laid back jargon (with highlighted sections for deeper learning if desired).
This was an overall incredible book as well as experience! I was able to learn a lot, laugh here and there, and have my breath taken away multiple times by stunning images.
Definitely recommend this read. ^_^
This was an overall incredible book as well as experience! I was able to learn a lot, laugh here and there, and have my breath taken away multiple times by stunning images.
Definitely recommend this read. ^_^
August 7, 2025
A View from Above offers a captivating glimpse into the world through the eyes of astronauts. Blending awe-inspiring visuals with profound reflections on Earth and humanity, it challenges our perspective and stirs a sense of unity and wonder. A breathtaking reminder of our planet’s fragility and our shared responsibility to it.
May 13, 2018
This book and the opportunity to hear the author speak was a wonderful gift from a friend. The book is beautiful. Most interesting, I loved how he started looking at, and telling the story of, the Earth through color.
April 13, 2018
The text was pretty good but I mostly read for the awesome photographs.
June 16, 2018
Breathtaking photography and well-written text combine for an ideal coffee table book.
February 18, 2019
The pictures alone are indescribably stunning.
January 1, 2020
Beautiful photography
August 30, 2021
Fascinating, but I'm a little underwhelmed because I expected more on space, maybe astrophotography.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews