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Recommended books, documentaries and movies
The following are my picks for the best available
sources to learn more about space exploration. They are all available
through Cayman Islands book stores or online from amazon.com
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A Man on the Moon
If you want to learn more about how humans made it to the Moon and what they did when they got there, start with this book.
Andrew Chaikin's A Man on the Moon is a comprehensive and entertaining review of the Apollo program. The material is presented in a way that anyone can follow and the human side of the lunar missions comes through. This book was the basis for Tom Hanks' outstanding HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.
Highly recommended
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From the Earth to the Moon
From the Earth to the Moon is a brilliant 12-part HBO miniseries produced by space junkie Tom Hanks. It is very well done with great attention to detail and accuracy.
The complete series can be purchased from amazon.com or reel.com (available in VHS or DVD). The DVD version includes bonuses like 3-D movable models of the Apollo spacecraft and a behind-the-scenes documentary about the series.
Highly recommended
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The Invisible Universe
This large-format photo book is a guaranteed brain-stretcher. You will be amazed by the photos of nebulae, galaxies and more. It's an expensive book but worth every penny.
Highly recommended
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Pale Blue Dot
Excellent book by Carl Sagan. Describes what might be in our future as a spacefaring species.
Highly recommended
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Cosmos
A great book by Carl Sagan. My mother gave me a copy for Christmas when I was about 10. From that day I have never stopped thinking about the wonders of the cosmos.
It is the companion book to Sagan's fantastic PBS series of the same name. The video and DVD set of the Cosmos series are available now. Amazon.com carries them. The series is worth every penny. Buy it!
Other excellent books by Sagan: The Dragons of Eden, Billions and Billions, The Demon-Haunted World, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (with Anne Druyan), and Broca's Brain.
Highly recommended
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For All Mankind
An excellent though not standard documentary. The naration is made up entirely of random comments by astronauts and abrupt jumps between various missions may confuse some viewers, but if you just relax and take the ride you will be thrilled. The DVD is worth the extra few dollars.
Highly recommended
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Exploring the Moon
This is a good book that describes how the work completed on the lunar missions helped us to better understand the Moon. |
Other Worlds
Another powerful photo book that reveals the incredible beauty of deep space.
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Chariots of Apollo
Interesting book that gives a lot of detail on the story of the lunar module, the first true space ship. |
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More Recommendations
The NASA Mission Reports (books) are excellent. Several missions are covered, including two volumes for Apollo 11. They contain a wealth of transcripts, diagrams, and data. All volumes also include a great CDRom loaded with photos, videos and interviews. Highly recommended
The Right Stuff (flim)is a fine movie based on Tom Wolfe's bestseller. It covers the Mercury program that set the stage for Gemini and Apollo.
Full Moon (book) is a fantastic large-format book by Michael Light that presents stunning photos of lunar exploration. . Highly recommended
Apollo 13 (film) is Ron Howard's retelling of the ill-fated but ultimately inspirational Apollo 13 mission. Tom Hanks stars in this must-see space movie. Apollo 10 commander Thomas Stafford gives it a thumbs up and told me that it was "very accurate". Highly recommended
Lost Moon (book) is Jim Lovell's telling of the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission.
Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8 (book) takes readers along on humankind's first voyage to another world. Many interesting details, including a vivid description of what happens when an astronaut vomits in zero gravity.
The Last Man on the Moon (book) is Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan's contribution to Apollo history.
The Race (book) is a comprehensive history of the race between the US and Soviet Union to land men on the Moon. By James Shefter, a journalist that was there from the start.
John Glenn: A Memoir (book) This biography of one of America's original seven astronauts is great. It reveals a lot about the early days of space exploration and it also provides a great example of how being a decent human can actually pay off.
The Universe and Beyond (book) by Terence Dickinson is a fantastic work. The text is easily digested and the illustrations are unforgettable.
Highly recommended
  
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