Destination Moon - by Richard Maurer (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A stunning middle grade nonfiction that sheds new light on the events and people that made the Apollo program so remarkable.

Only now is it becoming clear just how exceptional and unrepeatable Apollo was. At its height, it employed almost half a million people, many working seven days a week and each determined that "it will not fail because of me."

Beginning with fighter pilots in World War II, Maurer traces the origins of the Apollo program to a few exceptional soldiers, a Nazi engineer, and a young eager man who would become president.

Packed with adventure, new stories about familiar people, and undeniable danger, Destination Moon takes an unflinching look at a tumultuous time in American history, told expertly by nonfiction author Richard Maurer.

Review Quotes

*"An absorbing, insightful, solidly informative resource for readers who want to understand the U.S. space program from the ground up." --Booklist, starred review

*"Inspiring, fascinating, and, like the millions of parts that had to function for the space program to succeed, practically perfect." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About the Author

Richard Maurer is a writer, photo researcher, and exhibit designer. His books for young readers include The Wright Sister: Katharine Wright and her Famous Brothers. The Wild Colorado, winner of the Western Writers Spur Award, and Airborne: The Search for the Secret of Flight, winner of the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. A native of West Texas, he now lives in Central Massachusetts with his wife and two sons.