For All Humankind: The Untold Stories of How the Moon Landing Inspired the World

by Tanya Harrison

July 20, 1969. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin left humanity’s first footprints on the Moon.

The plaque they left behind reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” But was the Apollo 11 moon landing mission really a global endeavor? How did people outside the United States view these “rocket men”?

Against the political backdrop of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, was it, indeed, “For all mankind”? Dr. Tanya Harrison has talked to individuals from a variety of locations outside the United States, to see how this event touched the lives of people across the world.

Enthusiasts of space travel, the Apollo missions, and the moon landings will love this book. These previously untold stories reveal the impact of the moon landings around the globe, and what having a “man on the moon” meant to the international community.

In this exciting new book, For All Humankind, readers will:

Get to read interviews with eight non-Americans to get their perspectives Be inspired by their memories of the event as they saw it Have a unique opportunity to learn more about one of the most historic events in human history

If you liked A Man on the Moon, Rocket Men and First Man, you will love this insightful book.

Over the past decade, author Dr. Tanya Harrison has worked in mission operations for NASA’s Curiosity and Opportunity rovers and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and has done research focusing on the planet’s surface geology. She holds a PhD in Geology with a Specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Danny Bednar is a geographer of space, with an interest in how satellites are helping in the fight against climate change. Danny has worked on policy programs and rover-training missions with the Canadian Space Agency and has taught Space Exploration at Western University in Canada since 2012.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, Space

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2020

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book because I follow Dr. Harrison’s work and writing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s an easy read with captivating stories. Suitable for adults and young adults alike.

The authors call it a “global folk history” which fits perfectly. As someone who loves space but isn’t a scientist myself, I appreciated the history and breaking down relevant science and technology for the reader. As someone who has worked in countries around the world, I loved reading the experiences and perspectives of Apollo 11 from across the globe and the overarching message of peace, cooperation, and exploration.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting ... better suited for early teens

Like the subjects of this book, I was young when Apollo 11 landed, having just finished my freshman year at university. And also like the subjects, I was fascinated by this human undertaking. Growing up in a suburb of Los Angeles, many of my neighbors and parents of my friends worked on Apollo components.
I was drawn to this book because, rather than centering on the astronauts - and I’ve read scores of book about and by them - the subjects of this book were those of varying cultures on earth who observed the landing from afar, like I did.
What I didn’t know when I stumbled on this book in Kindle format, is that it was clearly written for adolescents, not so much for adults.
For that target audience, it is quite well done and, therefore, important.
But thinking as an adult, and a retired journalist to boot, I wanted a much more in-depth report of the experiences of these people, who are by now my age.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this 4 or 5 stars if the photos in the book were in colour. What really did it was the photo on page 184 showing the orange rocks and soil. The photo caption reads "...astronauts would find colours such as these". The photo like all the others are black and white.
Others line the famous Earthrise and The Blue Marble would have been nice in colour.

Otherwise the stories themselves were interesting.

[Hope Bagarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good messages, fun stories, but a bit simplistic for my taste. My main motivation for reading it was that my grandfather worked for NASA during the space race. It was fun to read about how the Apollo missions affected so many around the world and how they connected so many people. It would be nice if that could happen again now over something positive.

[M. Slinger-Carreer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book. Lots of inspirational stories. Love they angled this to show how big a deal the moon landing was by only including stories from non-Americans.

[Hukka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shed a few tears reading some of these stories. To first see such destruction and to suffer such pain during WWII and then witnessing man walking on the moon, aided by Nazi engineers... I cannot even fathom how that feels.

Different people from all sorts of backgrounds. I really appreciated hearing the stories of Abdel, Leena and Javad. We so rarely hear stories about the moon landing from Africa, India or Iran respectively. It was a delight.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good if you need a reminder that generally, humanity isn't so bad. I picked up this book because I follow Tanya Harrison and admire her for being both a scientist and very much herself.

For All Humankind has eight biographies of regular people from all over the world who witnessed and were changed by the first moon landing. The book left me with some things to consider about how people with different economic and geopolitical perspectives viewed the moon landing as it happened. Also a bit of hope for the species, so that's something.

There is a bit of a problem of audience. For instance, in the intro, the authors explain that the "V" in Saturn V is the Roman numeral 5, so I kinda started out thinking that this is for kids. Later, they detail the chemistry and geology of the moon as if they are talking to fellow scientists. Flattering, but not what I was expecting.

It also would have been interesting to know how the authors selected who to interview. As it is, the biographies make a good narrative, but I can't help but wonder, just why these people in particular?

[John Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really hit home for me. I was born after the Apollo Moon landings, and outside the USA, but from a young age I had this indescribable feeling that the Apollo missions were accomplished by “people like me.” My grandmother had lunar lander wallpaper in the guestroom. When we visited, I’d lay awake at night, staring at the images on the wall, dreaming that it was me walking on the Moon. In that moment I was simply proud to be human, proud that a human like me could explore worlds beyond our own. This book captures the emotions and motivations of those who lived through July 20th, 1969. As you read it, it takes you back to that day, helping you experience those emotions through a series of diverse human stories. I found this book truly profound, and I think you will, too.

[Andrew Maynard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a something of a duplicate review as I blurbed the book, but I wanted to reiterate how much I loved this book. The perspectives it provides on the moon landing aren't those that you usually read. Instead, they are from people around world who, one way or another, were touched by that event. As I say in the blurb, Dr. Tanya Harrison and Dr. Danny Bednar bring a freshness to their material that is utterly beguiling. Highly recommended.

[Nancy Istenes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written. The vignettes were surprising similar with common themes of fascination and sparks of life long interest in space exploration. There was not much discussion on the influence the moon landing had on politics, common technology or other aspects of human life and civilization.

A very worthwhile read.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feel-good book about the impact of Apollo 11 on the lives of eight children from around the world. The authors do a good job of capturing the awe of Apollo 11, something I remember very well. Maybe, someday, we’ll all be enthralled by something as monumental as the trip to the Moon again.

[Luz Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming and full of amazing stories that made me have goosebumps every time learning about how people all around the world experienced the Apollo 11 landing.
Reaching for the stars keeps inspiring us and bringing the best of us!

[Julia Hutto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never seen anything about Apollo focused on anything other than the US, and it's really great to be reminded of the worldwide impact of space exploration. Excited to live through a major event like this in my lifetime

[Hilmi Bakhari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring to see the impact of the Apollo project in spurring greater interest in STEM all over the world.

[Stephen Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick listen...a sort of world folk history of a dozen or so people all over the world experienced and were impacted by the moon landing in 1969.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

features reactions from around the globe to moon landing. some went into the industry. mentions the billions of years age of the universe. b/w pix.

[Larisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Ruth McAvinia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought there would be more first-person descriptions and less exposition about Apollo itself. For this reason I would recommend for a younger audience.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best non fictional astronomy story that I have read. I enjoyed the various points of view on the same historical event. I really enjoyed it. Even if I'm only 11!

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really interesting subject, unfortunately, tediously written.
I feel like it was aimed at teenagers (and the young ones at that), whereby the language is boring and simplistic. The biographies are a little boring and lacking a certain intrigue to make me want to keep reading about these people and their link to the Apollo program.
What a shame

2 stars.