About book Genesis: The Story Of Apollo 8, The First Manned Flight To Another World (1999)
I had always thought of the US space program as an example of great engineering achievement. Of course politics played a role, as it does in everything in history. I just didn't realize how deeply seated the political drivers were.In fact, the story Zimmerman spins is one in which Cold War one-up-manship was the real motivation behind extending our technological boundaries. But he also weaves in his tapestry the human element, showing how the backgrounds of each of the characters crashes together into a collage that provides one of the true engineering marvels of the 20th century.Zimmerman also shows how the events surrounding Apollo 8 changed the world culturally. I particularly appreciated the examination of how the new perspective of the globe, one seen from the vantage point of the moon, changed the sense of scale that people had in their conceptions. Suddenly we were in a much smaller world, and that perspective fueled the fire behind many movements that gained momentum in the 1960s, particularly the environmental movement.Overall, I recommend this book. It's not a terribly engrossing read, but it is a pleasant one, and the historical and cultural connections Zimmerman reveals makes the read worthwhile.
I'm probably being a bit mean with the stars here, but aspects of this book really grated. It seemed to me to be a bit too "God bless America!" By this I'm not criticising the inclusion of the historical context in which the space race occurred, but some of the narrative comment that seemed a little too much in the style "and thus, freedom, Christianity and the American way triumphed over evil commie dictatorships!" This might play very well to a American audience in 1998, but I found it rather jarred my 2010/insignificant pacific democracy sensibilities. I also found the highly detailed accounts of what the astronauts' wives were doing/thinking/feeling a bit intrusive and, frankly, repetitive. So all of this prevented me giving this book a higher star rating.
Do You like book Genesis: The Story Of Apollo 8, The First Manned Flight To Another World (1999)?
A mix of space, biography, social history of America in the 60's and a bit of vomit. In fact probably less than half the book is about the Apollo 8 mission. The book is set in the context of the cold war; the reason for going to the moon in the first place. But perhaps a bit to much on the Berlin wall... although the parallel soviet space endeavours were interesting. It did give a fascinating insight into how the opening verses of Genesis were chosen to be read from the moon, and a glimpse as to why such a thing would probably never take place again... the 'secret' communion service on the surface of the moon the following year being a case in point.
—Nicholas
