Picturing Apollo 11: Rare Views and Undiscovered Moments

by J.L. Pickering, John Bisney

Picturing Apollo 11 is an unprecedented photographic history of the space mission that defined an era. Through a wealth of unpublicized and recently discovered images, this book presents new and rarely-seen views of the people, places, and events involved in the pioneering first moon landing of July 20, 1969.

No other book has showcased as many never-before-seen photos connected with Apollo 11, or as many photos covering the activities from months before to years after the mission. Starting with the extensive preparations, these images show astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin training for the flight, as well as the stages of the massive Saturn V rocket arriving at the Kennedy Space Center for assembly. They capture the media frenzy over the unfolding story and the "moon fever" that gripped the nation.

Also featured here are shots of incredible moments from the mission. In these images, spectators flock to Cape Canaveral to watch the mighty Saturn V launch in a cloud of fire and thunder. Armstrong and Aldrin step out of the lunar module Eagle onto the surface of the moon. The command module Columbia splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, and the extraordinary voyage is celebrated around the world, and in the following decades.

Most of the photographs were selected from NASA archives and the collection of J. L. Pickering, which is the world's largest private collection of U.S. human space flight images. The accompanying text by veteran space correspondent John Bisney details the scenes, revealing the astonishing scale and scope of activities that went into planning and executing the first moon landing. This book commemorates the historic mission and evokes the electric atmosphere of the time.
Foreword by Rick Armstrong 

Genres: Nonfiction, Space, History, Photography, Science, Astronomy

272 pages, Hardcover

Published April 2, 2019

Reviews

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very original and cool read. Think of Picturing Apollo 11  as literally a photo album of every imaginable moment of preparation for the lunar landing, as well as photos from the flight and landing itself, along with photos after this huge historical event. They come with comments and short paragraphs of text between the chapters (a paragraph like every 15-20 pages or so, and a short comment for every photo). The images are high quality and high definition – they are simply stunning! 273 pages almost all filled with incredible photos. Some of these photos are accessible online or in other books, but some are said to be very rare and have been unearthed especially for this publication. There is also a lot of trivia about the photos, so this is the perfect book for a collector or fan who loves NASA books or albums. To give you the taste of it, here's one of the more easily accessible photos online with a little piece of trivia: Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins posing for a team shot with their space suits, the cost of which at the time was $100 000 per suit!


Photo source: Wikimedia Commons

I thank the publisher for the ebook review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. It has no affected my review.

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[Jon]

My alternate selection for "Read a book published this year" summer reading challenge at my local library. And, I checked it out the day after I watched the Apollo 11 documentary (which I highly recommend).

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picturing Apollo 11 is a highly informative and entertaining account of the historic space mission. Volume includes a stunning collection of unpublished and recently discovered images of the events leading up, including and after the first moon landing. Some lesser-known photos of the moonwalk itself are noteworthy.

It is great nostalgia for readers, who were alive on that incredible day in July 1969, and recall watching grainy black and white television images of Neil Armstrong descending from the lunar module to take that first human step on another world. Whether you were watching in a classroom at school, at work or home, reading this will both bring it all back and make the experience even more profound.

The only complaint is that the subject is slightly let down by the format of the book. In Library terms Picturing Apollo 11 could have been published in a larger elephant folio format to give it full justice. There are many rare and previously unseen images here that seem a little lost in this standard folio presentation.

Otherwise this is a great tome and souvenir of an absolutely momentous event to have been a part of and witness too.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Previously unpublished and recently-discovered photographs combine to offer readers this extraordinary tribute to the Apollo 11 mission that captivated the world as astronaut Neil Armstrong created a rare moment of unity with his declaration of “ . . . one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Taken from NASA archives and from the author’s private collection, the chronologically-presented photographs detail the preparations, the equipment, and the people, paying tribute to all who made the historic mission possible. Informative text accompanies each remarkable photograph. These are must-see pictures for everyone interested in the Apollo program, in astronauts, or in space exploration.

Highly recommended.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me three weeks to read this book of photos, because I wanted to understand, via each photo's captions, exactly what I was looking at and how this massive undertaking of sending three men to the moon came to be. The incredible detail that went into this task confounds me, but it was all very interesting nonetheless. Highly recommended.

[Susan]

Loved every picture!

[Mfralish · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderful photos, but quality less than the Apollo remastered Andy Saunders 2022 work. Good text accompanying throughout.