Publishers Weekly
★ 01/28/2019
In this page-turning history, Launius (The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration), former chief historian for NASA, investigates how “belief, knowledge, rational thought, and myth” have all shaped the legacy of NASA’s Apollo program in popular memory. Throughout, Launius is careful to relate conflicting perspectives. The program, he reminds readers, was initially attacked from both sides of the political aisle for costs “greater than their worth,” but the successful missions to the moon between 1969 and 1972 established Apollo as an exemplar of American scientific accomplishment. From the “sophisticated technical competence” that brought it to life, to the careful presentation of the astronauts as ideal American heroes (“one of the truly great examples of mythmaking in modern American history”), Apollo expanded Americans’ conception of the possible—for “if we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we do X?” Whether covering hard-to-explain scientific concepts or the puzzling persistence of moon-landing deniers, Launius’s erudite, approachable storytelling is superlative. Despite his past connection to NASA, he evenhandedly unpacks agency triumphs and failures alike. Space Age aficionados, political junkies, and general readers will find both the unexpected and the fascinating in Launius’s scrupulously researched account. (May)
From the Publisher
"As Launius analyzes critiques of the Moon landings and discusses Moon-landing denialism, he uses key moments in the space race to illustrate his analysis."
—American Scientist
"Space Age aficionados, political junkies, and general readers will find both the unexpected and the fascinating in Launius’s scrupulously researched account."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The book also provides extensive background material on the space program, both from within NASA and from outside observers, as well as a useful annotated bibliography for those who want to do their own research. A valuable summary of an important piece of modern history and its effects and a must-read for space enthusiasts."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Launius' insightful cultural analysis of all that Apollo has signified helps celebrate the first lunar landing's 50th anniversary."
—Booklist
"How do we understand a transformative event like the Apollo missions to the moon? Many present it as proof of American ingenuity and success, but there's much more to the story. In Apollo's Legacy: Perspectives on the Moon Landings, space historian Roger Launius probes the impacts Apollo had technologically, scientifically and politically, as well as analyzing what we can draw from it to understand the country's modern space program. The slim volume is written as a scholarly text, but it's accessible to anybody with an interest in space history and the circumstances that spawned Apollo."
—Space.com
"Roger D. Launius’s Apollo’s Legacy is a masterly written and impeccably researched overview of the Cold War space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Nobody knows NASA history with the insight and exactitude of Launius. Every page brims with fresh insights. Highly recommended!"
—Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History, Rice University and author of American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
"An incredibly inspiring and well-researched story of the origins and accomplishments of the Apollo program, Launius’s Apollo’s Legacy is a superb tutorial for all of us who consider ourselves to be strong proponents of human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Replete with previously untold background stories of the battles to gain approval for Apollo and to manage its execution, this book is instructive on the contemporary challenges—political and societal—that we face in trying to maintain momentum for the continued pursuit of human journeys and settlement beyond low Earth orbit."
—Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr. (US Marine Corps–Ret.), 12th NASA Administrator
"With the perspective of half a century lived in the afterglow of the Apollo project, historian Launius provides a trenchant three-dimensional analysis, plotting Apollo’s legacy over time against the axes of political left and right, and of legitimate triumph versus hoax-mongering. He brings to life the idealism that in unusual coalition joined innovation and geopolitics, as 'all the cosmic tumblers clicked into place to make possible successful Moon landings.'"
—Don Eyles, Apollo engineer and author of Sunburst and Luminary: An Apollo Memoir
"That complex, critical perspective makes Apollo’s Legacy stand out amid all the books that simply celebrate that glorious and revered event."
—The Space Review
School Library Journal
06/01/2019
Gr 10 Up—Launius, former associate director of collections and curatorial affairs at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and previously chief historian for NASA, presents a nuanced and balanced exploration of the Apollo program and its influence on modern American society, politics, and cultural identity. Each aspect of the program, from Kennedy's announcement and the technology created to the influence of lunar photography, is analyzed from positive and negative reactions at the time, the dominant narrative that emerged, and the fringe viewpoints. Throughout the book, Launius describes references to Apollo found in political cartoons, movies, TV shows, and other media to illustrate the prevalence of the moon landing in popular culture and how the various perceptions of the mission have endured or changed over time. Each chapter is relatively self contained, reading like an essay centered around a theme. If an example is used in more than one chapter, such as the film Apollo 13 in "The Most Powerful Technology Ever Conceived" and "Apollo and the Religion of Spaceflight," brief context is provided. This makes individual chapters suitable for classroom use but makes reading the overall work feel repetitive. Back matter includes notes, an annotated bibliography, and index. VERDICT An excellent resource, recommended for classroom use and most high school libraries.—Kacy Helwick, New Orleans Public Library
Kirkus Reviews
2019-02-28
The former chief historian of NASA examines the history and lasting impact of America's program to reach the moon.
Launius (The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration, 2018, etc.) begins with one of the most significant scientific feats of the 20th century, the July 20, 1969, landing of the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon. After summing up that historic moment, he turns to the ways it has been viewed since: as an awesome achievement in its own right, a waste of valuable resources better used otherwise, an abuse of government power, or even (by a minority) a hoax. The author then examines every phase of the program: creating rockets powerful enough for the job, building the spacecraft and moon lander, and devising the technology to guide and control it—all of which had to be done from scratch. The human component—the astronauts and their support team—receives similar scrutiny, with a focus on how the astronauts were positioned (and marketed) as real-life heroes and how they were received by the public. As for its scientific impact, the program essentially changed our understanding of the moon, while attempts to apply its management principles to more mundane projects—e.g., city management—were less successful. One chapter takes the historian's viewpoint, examining how the many artifacts generated by the program have or haven't been preserved. Especially interesting is a chapter on how the images captured by the astronauts have made an impact on the world, notably the iconic images of the Earth from space. Launius even attempts—without notable success—to figure out why, despite all evidence, some continue to deny that the moon landing occurred. The book also provides extensive background material on the space program, both from within NASA and from outside observers, as well as a useful annotated bibliography for those who want to do their own research.
A valuable summary of an important piece of modern history and its effects and a must-read for space enthusiasts.
