View From Above: An Astronaut Photographs the World

by Terry Virts

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.

Genres: Science, Space, Nonfiction, Art, Photography, Coffee Table Books

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Lisa Reads & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photography! Amazing stories. A must read.

[Ehud · Rating 1 out of 5]

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".

[Mike Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a coffee-table book (for those old enough to remember the term), but well written and the pictures are spectacular. Terry Virts gives a nice summary of life as an astronaut (a short trip and a long trip to the International Space Station). He includes biographical details to set the scene, but focuses on his experiences in space. You get a nice feel for the day-to-day on the ISS. Mr. Virts is also an excellent photographer with a unique perspective on planet earth. The pictures are just spectacular. I appreciate the loving grandchildren who gave me this book.

[MKF · Rating 1 out of 5]

Based on the title I expected more photos of Earth and less photos of the author and of the space station.

[Teresa Osgood · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Katie Lindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Amy]

calm app sleep story 2/14/18 after watching Apollo 13 tonight.

[Sunrise Scholar · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The text was pretty good but I mostly read for the awesome photographs.

[jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathtaking photography and well-written text combine for an ideal coffee table book.

[Katerina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pictures alone are indescribably stunning.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photography

[Sampurna Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating, but I'm a little underwhelmed because I expected more on space, maybe astrophotography.

[Cheryl Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. ^_^