The Woman in the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Helped Fly the First Astronauts to the Moon

by Richard Maurer

A stunning and intimate biography of Margaret Hamilton, the computer engineer who helped Apollo 11 and mankind get from the Earth to the moon.First-hand accounts, exclusive interviews with the legendary Margaret Hamilton, and detailed science populate the pages of this remarkable biography. In 1969, mankind successfully left our atmosphere and landed on the moon. It took countless hours of calculations, training, wonder, and sacrifice from all of the men and women who worked hard to make that landing. One of those people was Margaret Hamilton. A young computer engineer, Hamilton was hired to develop the completely new software used in the groundbreaking Apollo Space Program. Soon she became the lead engineer, one of the few women in the almost entirely male-dominated profession. But it wasn't always easy. In The Woman in the Moon, science-writer and journalist Richard Maurer (Destination Moon, 2019) dives deep into the backstory of this extraordinary woman. With first-hand interviews and access to primary sources, this striking biography perfectly captures the exciting atmosphere of the Space Race and the inspiring figure of Margaret Hamilton.

Genres: Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Historical, Biography, Biography Memoir, Childrens, Juvenile

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2023

About the author

Richard Maurer is the author of The Wild Colorado and Airborne: The Search for the Secret of Flight, winner of the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. A native of West Texas, he lives in central Massachusetts with his wife, a famous book designer.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: One evening in the late 1950s, Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert were enjoying a relaxing dinner with their companion, a brilliant, eccentric inventor named Charles Stark "Doc" Draper.

Premise/plot: The Woman in the Moon by Richard Maurer is a biography of Margaret Hamilton, a mathematician who 'helped fly the first astronauts to the moon.' That is the sum of it; Margaret Hamilton wrote computer codes--routines and subroutines, the software that was integral to the space program.

My thoughts: When I saw the cover, I initially thought I was committing to a smaller book--not physically smaller--but a picture book. This is a biography for upper elementary OR middle school OR possibly high school. I think it is not so much the complexity of the subject matter that determines the ideal audience as it is the interest level of the reader. In other words, the more you are interested in math, science, history--the space race--the better this one will "read." If you have zero interest in the subject, then chances are you'll find it 'dull' and 'dry.'

I do have an interest in history and the space race. I just don't have an interest in math and science. I found this to be a little too technical for me. Reading is subjective and if my mind was wired differently--to appreciate more technical sciences--then perhaps I would have found it fascinating. It is not the fault of the author.

My favorite bits were the sections that focused on her personal life.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailing the life of Margaret Hamilton from childhood to Presidential Award winner, Maurer sparingly details her life that doesn't get bogged down in details as much as highlights the brain power and ambition Hamilton had in the field that was circuitous to get where she was but ultimately the impact she had on the space program. I loved the picture of her wit the stacks of code she wrote and how she was better than what we know as a computer/calculator.

She grew into the field loving all things outdoor, then science and math. She married, had a kid who she had a babysitter for while she and her husband went to work when that wasn't as prevalent.

It's the power of the mind and also hard work and perseverance. She believed in the science and math and working it all out for successful missions. It's a complicated set of instructions, procedures, and directions to get it all done. I'm exhausted just reading about it.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Hamilton grew up in Michigan. Her father encouraged her free spirit and a love of mathematics. She was in at the ground floor of computer programming, especially in software engineering. Her skills were essential in the software used to program the computer that helped land man on the moon. Some of her insights are still in use today. Margaret was often the only woman in the room; her team quickly learned that she was thorough, knowledgeable, and 100% reliable. In many ways, she is like Catherine Johnson - an unsung hero. Even now, NASA gets lots of credit but the team from MIT rarely gets recognized for their contributions. We take a lot forgranted about what computers can do nowadays but back then, they were really limited and there was still so much learning to be done about how to program them and what the limitations and capabilities were. Margaret was responsible for much of that learning - and in a life or death situation. Very engaging read.

[Charlie Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

So like, this book is about Margaret Heafield Hamilton (originally Margaret Heafield, which is now her middle name), and how she helped fly some of the first people into space. She grew up in the Upper Peninsula, a very deserted place, compared to city places. She got a very good grade in school, and was a very good swimmer. But on the graduation test, she had to do a somersault. Unfortunately, she had a phobia of somersaults. But the fact that she was a good swimmer helped her pass the test. She did them underwater. She proceeded to work with other scientists, working her way to launching the people into space. I'll say this book is a bit dull, so I'll give it a 4 star.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parts of the book that focused on Margaret Hamilton and her incredible achievements were fascinating. However, the author tended to get too bogged down describing each machine Mrs. Hamilton used in technical and minute detail. It took away from an otherwise good story as it read more like an old computer manual at times. I wish the book's focus had stayed entirely on Mrs. Hamilton's like with only brief forays into describing the machines she worked with. I would still recommend it as an introductory biography to Margaret Hamilton, but not as the definitive story.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fascinating biography filled with facts and information and presented in a very readable format. The author does an excellent job of defining and explaining technical terms related to software engineering and space flight without making the reader feel like they are reading a technical manual or dictionary. Such an inspiring story for all, but especially for those who dare to push the boundaries set for them by society.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a great read about Margaret Hamilton and how she helped the first astronauts get to the moon. This would be a great read for kids wanting to learn about astronauts and space; learning about what it took to put men on the moon. Also the impressive size of the computers back then.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s amazing that the human mind can solve, process and apply mathematical equations and theorems to making history. Hamilton was a genius in this field and her contributions were a main source of the Moon landing. Very interesting story.

[Vi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book, especially the second half about Margaret Hamilton's work with Edward Lorenz and then her contributions to the Apollo Guidance Computer and NASA. There are some great photos in the book too.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive biography on Margaret Hamilton, geared toward middle and high school students. I think this book does a great job explaining complex math concepts in a relatable way for all readers. Great insights into life as a woman breaking barriers in multiple stem jobs.

[Jami Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and educational. I was very interested to learn about Margaret Hamilton and her contributions to the space program.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one. What an amazing story and an amazing mind.

[Anne Speyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at a too often forgotten woman crucial to the coding for NASA's Apollo program. Supposedly aimed for young adults, it is readable and informative for adults, too.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting --I learned a lot

[Anne-marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very engaging biography/non fiction! I loved it!

[Ajf2019 · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!