Lunar - (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Apollo program, which was catalyzed by President John F. Kennedy's rousing "We will go to the Moon" speech before a joint session of the US Congress in 1961, spurred on scientists at the US Geological Survey in their efforts to map the Moon. Over the next eleven years a team of twenty-two, including a dozen illustrator-cartographers, created forty-four charts-one for each named quadrangle on the Earthside of the Moon. For the first time in Lunar, each beautifully hand- drawn and colored chart is presented in full along with the key geological characteristics and interpretations that were set out in the original Geologic Atlas of the Moon. Matthew Shindell's expert commentary accompanies each chart. Also included are self-contained features devoted to Moon-related topics that highlight the cultural and natural significance of the Moon to humankind around the globe, from prehistory to the Moon landing of 1969-the definitive moment at which myth became matter. Lunar combines a retelling of the symbolic and mythical associations of the Moon throughout history with the beautifully realized, scientifically accurate charting of the Moon in preparation for the Apollo Moon landing in 1969. It is a stunning celebration of the Moon in all its guises"--

Book Synopsis

The first book to combine exquisite cartographical charts of the Moon with a thorough exploration of the Moon's role in popular culture, science, and myth.

President John F. Kennedy's rousing "We will go to the Moon" speech in 1961 before the US Congress catalyzed the celebrated Apollo program, spurring the US Geological Survey's scientists to map the Moon. Over the next eleven years a team of twenty-two, including a dozen illustrator-cartographers, created forty-four charts that forever changed the path of space exploration.

For the first time, each of those beautifully hand-drawn, colorful charts is presented together in one stunning book. In Lunar, National Air and Space Museum curator Matthew Shindell's expert commentary accompanies each chart, along with the key geological characteristics and interpretations that were set out in the original Geologic Atlas of the Moon. Interwoven throughout the book are contributions from scholars devoted to studying the multifaceted significance of the Moon to humankind around the world. Traveling from the Stone Age to the present day, they explore a wide range of topics: the prehistoric lunar calendar; the role of the Moon in creation myths of Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome; the role of the Moon in astrology; the importance of the Moon in establishing an Earth-centered solar system; the association of the Moon with madness and the menstrual cycle; how the Moon governs the tides; and the use of the Moon in surrealist art.

Combining a thoughtful retelling of the Moon's cultural associations throughout history with the beautifully illustrated and scientifically accurate charting of its surface, Lunar is a stunning celebration of the Moon in all its guises.

Review Quotes

"An iconic tour de- force for selenophiles and an eye-opener for even the most desultory moongazer."

-- "Natural History"

"It seems that the Moon has been a fascination to man since the beginning. . . For example, as the book makes clear, the Moon was crucial to prehistoric man in the creation of a calendar. And it played a key role in ancient creation myths and astrology, and it has often been associated with madness (note the words lunar and lunatic). In this way, every mythical and cultural association of the Moon throughout history is explored, culminating in the 1969 Moon landing."-- "Deposits"

"Beautifully illustrated. . . . [Full] of astonishing illustrations, [it] is a large quarto volume so weighty that one would need a strong coffee table to display it. . . . Lunar excels in the visual evocation of the growing understanding, imagining, and representation of the moon over millennia, from the cave paintings of Lascaux, dating to 15,000 years ago, up to today."-- "New York Review of Books"

"This is a unique, beautiful, inspiring, and vital volume - a book to help the reader prepare for humankind's reintroduction to on-location Moon exploration."-- "Inside Outer Space"

"Lunar: A History of the Moon in Myths, Maps and Matter tells the story of the coexistence between humanity and the celestial body through striking images and detailed maps."-- "New Scientist"

"Space enthusiasts, ordinary readers and policymakers should spend time with [Lunar's] pages.

-- "The Space Review"

"There are so many parts in Shindell's Lunar, with the range of contributing authors enabling it to present a wide diversity of perspectives; but some themes that run through the text are those of wonder, mystery and inescapable connection. The interweaving of practical, scientific, spiritual and artistic ways of thinking about our one natural satellite makes a powerful case for our need to rebalance our relationship with it beyond the purely scientific, and to make sure the voices of all people are heard."-- "Nature"

About the Author

Matthew Shindell curates the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's collection of spacecraft, instruments, and other artifacts related to the exploration and study of our Earth and solar system. He co-hosts the Museum's podcast, AirSpace. A historian of science, he is also the author of For the Love of Mars and The Life and Science of Harold C. Urey, coauthor of Spaceships and Discerning Experts, and coeditor of Smithsonian American Women.