We learned the story of our trip to the moon in school and have seen it on TV but most don’t understand how truly monumental the obstacles overcome to get there were. One Giant Leap: The Untold Story Of How We Flew To The Moon looks at our huge accomplishments on the trip from Earth to the moon and back.
Taking One Giant Leap
When President Kennedy committed to sending Americans to the moon by the end of the ’60s, few understood just how big of a challenge it would be. One Giant Leap explores the many things that had to happen to allow us to beat the Soviets and take us on a historic journey.
The technical challenges were simply astounding. Much of the book is spent giving a detailed look at just how hard it was to pack the needed power into a mission to the moon and back. It’s an interesting look at just how far technology had to come in order to make it all happen.
Politics played a huge role in our goal of reaching the moon, and One Giant Leap looks at both the public role they played, along with personal for presidents and those at NASA.
Some Reasons To Consider Aborting
The last chapter was unneeded. It’s mostly mindless babbling on and on and on like a drunken man on a street corner. It feels like every bit of information that didn’t fit elsewhere in the story was simply shoved in at the end.
Many of the chapters dragged endlessly. The point was made, but then additional words were added, which didn’t benefit the concepts conveyed. Much of the book could have been cut without loss. Pulling out 150-200 pages certainly would have been possible, while still telling the same story.
There was also a lot of circling back. Frequently touching on something then coming back to it several times in a chapter, rather than telling that story and moving on.
In the final chapter, the author really brings in his personal feelings, which weren’t really present throughout the rest of the book. He’s upset that the American public seemed to lose interest in NASA after the original mission was accomplished. While he blamed the loss of attention on the American people, he placed none of the responsibility on NASA themselves. They failed at marketing and PR around those future missions. They failed to tell us why we should care and where we were headed next. They’re the reason we lost interest.
Prepare For Lift-Off
Overall, One Giant Leap is an interesting read that tells the story of the mission to the moon, which includes details most of us haven’t heard before. While it runs a bit long and the final chapter could be done away with, it’s still worth the investment for those who are interested in one of the most historic accomplishments humans have ever achieved.
Grab a copy of One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us To The Moon on Amazon today and strap for a moonshot.
