The Moonlandings An Eyewitness Account

An eyewitness account of the Soviet-American race to land a man on the moon.

The Soviet-American race to land the first man on the moon was a technical challenge unlike any other in recent human history. Reginald Turnill, the BBC's Aerospace Correspondent, covered the entire story first-hand, and his reports were heard and seen by millions around the world. With unparalleled access to the politicians, scientists and technicians involved in the race to the moon, Turnill got to know all the early astronauts - Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin - as they pioneered the techniques that made the moon landings possible. He became a friend of Dr Wernher von Braun, the German rocket pioneer and mastermind behind it all. This eyewitness account of one of the most thrilling adventures of the twentieth Century is written in a lucid style, packed with action and drama, and is a fascinating read for all those interested in the story of the race to the moon.

Foreword Buzz Aldrin; Growing up with space - sources and acknowledgments; 1. The context: a twentieth-century Faust; 2. Preparing for manned spaceflight; 3. Gagarin puts Russia ahead; 4. The Moon and how to get there; 5. The seven story begins; 6. Glenn gets there first; 7. Sequels to the seven story; 8. Space travel: learning the rules; 9. Overtaking the Russians; 10. Apollo's bad start; 11. Lassoing the moon; 12. What makes an astronaut?; 13. Final rehearsals; 14. The eagle soars; 15. The eagle swoops; 16. First steps - and where they led; 17. The moonrocks - and Mars!; 18. Second steps on the moon; 19. The thirteen story; 20. Last men on the moon; 21. Apollo's inconclusive findings; 22. Epilogues to Apollo; 23. John Glenn's Apollo postscript; Bibliography; Appendices; Index.

The Soviet-American race to land a man on the moon was a technical challenge unlike any other in recent history. Reginald Turnill, the BBC's Aerospace Correspondent, covered the entire story first-hand. This eyewitness account is written in a lucid style, packed with action and drama.

Now retired from his position as BBC Aerospace Correspondent, Turnill spent his career covering manned space missions.