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Moonshots: 50 Years of NASA Space Exploration Seen through Hasselblad Cameras
Moonshots presents stunning photos of space and Earth from NASA’s archives - taken by Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and ISS astronauts using high resolution Hasselblad cameras.
In December 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 captured images depicting Earth hanging like a lonely fruit in the vast darkness of space. The social and spiritual shock of that photograph—and those which followed—never fully diminished, even as Apollo missions followed at an incredible pace, including the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969.
Moonshots is the definitive photographic chronicle of NASA space exploration—a giant slipcased book featuring more than 200 remarkable photographs from that eventful era created almost exclusively on large-format Hasselblad cameras. Though a number of these images have been reproduced in books and magazines over the years, one attribute of this incredible collection has seldom been the sheer size and resolution of the photography . Aerospace author Piers Bizony scoured NASA’s archives of Hasselblad film frames to assemble the space fan’s ultimate must-have book—a gorgeous large-format hardcover presented in a heavy slipcase with die-cuts to represent the phases of the moon.
This resulting volume extracts a stunning selection of photographs captured by astronauts using Hasselblad equipment, many of them seldom previously published, let alone in such a lavish package. The Apollo voyages form the centerpiece of this amazing collection, but equally fabulous images from precursor Gemini missions are also featured, along with later photographs chronicling Space Shuttle missions and even the construction of the International Space Station.
In December 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 captured images depicting Earth hanging like a lonely fruit in the vast darkness of space. The social and spiritual shock of that photograph—and those which followed—never fully diminished, even as Apollo missions followed at an incredible pace, including the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969.
Moonshots is the definitive photographic chronicle of NASA space exploration—a giant slipcased book featuring more than 200 remarkable photographs from that eventful era created almost exclusively on large-format Hasselblad cameras. Though a number of these images have been reproduced in books and magazines over the years, one attribute of this incredible collection has seldom been the sheer size and resolution of the photography . Aerospace author Piers Bizony scoured NASA’s archives of Hasselblad film frames to assemble the space fan’s ultimate must-have book—a gorgeous large-format hardcover presented in a heavy slipcase with die-cuts to represent the phases of the moon.
This resulting volume extracts a stunning selection of photographs captured by astronauts using Hasselblad equipment, many of them seldom previously published, let alone in such a lavish package. The Apollo voyages form the centerpiece of this amazing collection, but equally fabulous images from precursor Gemini missions are also featured, along with later photographs chronicling Space Shuttle missions and even the construction of the International Space Station.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2017
3 people are currently reading
605 people want to read
About the author
Piers Bizony
38 books25 followersPiers Bizony is a science journalist and space historian who writes for magazines such as Focus and Wired as well as the Independent. His award-winning book on Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was described as 'full of sparkling enthusiasm' by the New Scientist and 'excellent, in every way worthy of Kubrick's original precision-crafted vision' by the Evening Standard.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 21, 2019
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
I really loved this book. It's full of little stories and facts, interesting quotes and some really amazing, breathtaking photos. Incredibly high quality, close up photos of instruments and other things the astronauts saw and took pictures of during the trips. We may be able to take photos whenever we want now, but they've got nothing on these. Quantity isn't always better than quality - and these are truly stunning.
I can't say exactly what it is about the photos in this book, but they're so... Real. So deep. They're very good. The view of the Earth in some of them is simply breathtaking, and you'll even find one of the astronauts quoted, saying that it was perhaps seeing these kinds of views what kicked the nature preservation programs into gear - and it easily convinces me that it might have been. It's profound, looking at the Earth from space, and even stranger to see a man in front of it. Seeing these photos, it's also really easy to imagine how all those now iconic movies about space came to be (Space Oddysey: 2001, Star Wars and many others). They concentrate on these images, and it seems that at the time, humanity was really captivated by such views, and the images the astronauts brought back had an immense cultural impact.
What I also loved is that it's not only about the first trip to the moon. There's a lot of stuff about the rest of the trips, which are often overlooked or forgotten. Then it also had some stories from the time of the Space shuttles and the Hubble launch, or other space station programs.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free ebook copy of the book through Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
I really loved this book. It's full of little stories and facts, interesting quotes and some really amazing, breathtaking photos. Incredibly high quality, close up photos of instruments and other things the astronauts saw and took pictures of during the trips. We may be able to take photos whenever we want now, but they've got nothing on these. Quantity isn't always better than quality - and these are truly stunning.
I can't say exactly what it is about the photos in this book, but they're so... Real. So deep. They're very good. The view of the Earth in some of them is simply breathtaking, and you'll even find one of the astronauts quoted, saying that it was perhaps seeing these kinds of views what kicked the nature preservation programs into gear - and it easily convinces me that it might have been. It's profound, looking at the Earth from space, and even stranger to see a man in front of it. Seeing these photos, it's also really easy to imagine how all those now iconic movies about space came to be (Space Oddysey: 2001, Star Wars and many others). They concentrate on these images, and it seems that at the time, humanity was really captivated by such views, and the images the astronauts brought back had an immense cultural impact.
What I also loved is that it's not only about the first trip to the moon. There's a lot of stuff about the rest of the trips, which are often overlooked or forgotten. Then it also had some stories from the time of the Space shuttles and the Hubble launch, or other space station programs.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free ebook copy of the book through Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
August 21, 2022
The Moon is my favorite evidence that the Earth is not flat; not just the photography, but the sheer scale of the operation and all the conspirators required to be involved. Imagine being a fake astronaut whose job was to ascertain for the history books that the first thing you did after landing on the Moon was take a nap.
The tricky balance in photography-based books is how much text to add. Too much and the book is either diluted or too long. Too little and the photos have no context; even if every photo is incredible, looking at them one after another inevitably dulls your mind to their awe-inspiring contents. I think the author did a good job. The text sets the historical stage for why the next batch of photos will be different from the previous, and adds a borderline-personal commentary that I didn't mind.
The photos in this book are truly incredible. I love that every photo is telling the story, and none are taken by professional photographers. Their value comes from the sheer mind-blowing incredulity of the scenes and subject matters. I took a long time to read this book but I wish I'd taken longer, setting aside 30 minutes a day to stare at only one photograph of the Moon or space or the canisters and rockets people rode to get there. Good thing I own it - highly recommend for everyone's coffee table.
The tricky balance in photography-based books is how much text to add. Too much and the book is either diluted or too long. Too little and the photos have no context; even if every photo is incredible, looking at them one after another inevitably dulls your mind to their awe-inspiring contents. I think the author did a good job. The text sets the historical stage for why the next batch of photos will be different from the previous, and adds a borderline-personal commentary that I didn't mind.
The photos in this book are truly incredible. I love that every photo is telling the story, and none are taken by professional photographers. Their value comes from the sheer mind-blowing incredulity of the scenes and subject matters. I took a long time to read this book but I wish I'd taken longer, setting aside 30 minutes a day to stare at only one photograph of the Moon or space or the canisters and rockets people rode to get there. Good thing I own it - highly recommend for everyone's coffee table.
December 18, 2024
A breathtaking and awe-inspiring collection of photographs of—IMO—the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring natural and man-made objects, such as the Earth, the Moon, Saturn V rockets, and the International Space Station.
It took me weeks to get through this short-ish book because I sat and gaped at each photo for minutes on end. I love how most of these photos were new to me despite having watched countless documentaries on the subject. I’m so thankful for NASA’s foresight in including high-resolution cameras in missions even in the 60s!
When I have a big office, this book will be in its waiting area. Till then, the coffee table at my home will do.
It took me weeks to get through this short-ish book because I sat and gaped at each photo for minutes on end. I love how most of these photos were new to me despite having watched countless documentaries on the subject. I’m so thankful for NASA’s foresight in including high-resolution cameras in missions even in the 60s!
When I have a big office, this book will be in its waiting area. Till then, the coffee table at my home will do.
October 11, 2019
Ik had echt helemaal niks met de tekst, die heb ik echt amper gelezen, ik kwam voor de foto's. En die waren echt prachtig om te zien. Van de eerste keer naar de maan (en alles wat ze daar deden wat echt geweldig was) tot ISS, van alles komt voorbij en ik genoot. Ik hou van ruimtereizen en ik ben blij dat dit boek er is. Ik zou het voor de foto's ook zeker aanraden.
April 25, 2021
A photographic look at space exploration done with some very basic cameras.Some very stunning and beautiful photos from Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, the space shuttles and the International Space Station.
October 29, 2017
Gathered in this magnificent volume are more than two hundred spectacular photographs, most taken by astronauts using a Hasselblad camera, all definitive, archival images highlighting NASA’s manned spaceflight programs. The accompanying text provides details about the particular mission and includes quotes from the astronauts themselves.
The Apollo missions to the moon are the centerpiece of this fabulous collection, but images from Mercury, Gemini, Skylab, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station programs are included in this stunning volume as well.
Highly recommended.
The Apollo missions to the moon are the centerpiece of this fabulous collection, but images from Mercury, Gemini, Skylab, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station programs are included in this stunning volume as well.
Highly recommended.
October 26, 2017
I was soo suprised to be a winner of this copy through goodreads...can't thank the publisher Hachette Book Group enough! This book is spectacular! The pictures are simply stunning...Hasselblad cameras are just the best as far as cameras go. If you are a fan of space exploration of the moon or simply want to learn more look no farther this book is a must have for any collection.
August 11, 2021
I've loved space pictures since I was a kid, and they simply don't come any better than this. Some familiar photos, many unfamiliar, and all in beautiful prints and resolution. An utterly gorgeous book that belongs on everyone's bookshelf.
March 20, 2022
Grandios und inspirierend. Das ist l mit abstand die beste Fotosammlung und Geschichtszusammenfassung die ich je gelesen habe. Dieses Buch zeigt, warum es nicht nur erstebenswert ist, sondern sinnspendend, dass die Menschheit Multiplanetar wird.
September 30, 2023
This book is one of my favorites. I’ve checked it out from my library multiple times. The main attraction is the photography, which is breathtaking and beautiful, but the text is also well-written and insightful. I’m going to have to find a copy for myself one of these days.
October 19, 2017
Review to come
March 2, 2024
Gorgeous photos and informative text.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews