Neil Armstrong: A Life from Beginning to End

by Hourly History

Discover the remarkable life of Neil Armstrong...
Free BONUS Inside!

Neil Armstrong is often referred to as an American hero for his service both as an astronaut and a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, but in truth, Armstrong isn’t just America’s hero—he’s a global one. Armstrong was the first human being to step foot on the Moon, and he didn’t just do it for his home country—he did it for the whole planet. Armstrong landed on the Moon and came back to talk about it, but as incredible as this one feat is, Armstrong’s life was much more than that one Moon landing. Here, in this book, we explore Neil Armstrong’s life from beginning to end.

Discover a plethora of topics such asEarly A Bright ChildFighting in the Korean WarThe Death of His DaughterWelcome to NASATo the Moon and BackLife after the LandingAnd much more!
So if you want a concise and informative book on Neil Armstrong, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Biography Memoir

58 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2022

About the author

At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.

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Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Small Step

Neil Armstrong was both interesting and intelligent, and yet remained humble throughout his life. He was serious about each aspect of his life to include being a husband and father.

This is an excellent condensed version of Armstrong’s life. The dangerous nature of his time in the Air Force and later with the space program caused Armstrong several close calls, yet the public knew little about the first recorded man to set foot on the moon.

The writing was dry, yet well done. I didn’t read this for its literary value, but for a man I always admired.

Four stars.

[Bonnie Gleckler Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Insight. Most informative.

I’ve known of Neil Armstrong since my college years. His most major accomplishment “landing on and walking on the moon”. By reading this Hourly History I’ve learned so much more about the man. I am so glad I read it.

[Dr.J.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, and very well compiled.
****

"After the Armstrong house was destroyed by flames, the whole neighborhood offered their support. They were kind enough to donate their time, money, and whatever resources they had to help the Armstrongs get back on their feet as quickly and smoothly as possible. However, it must be mentioned that in a grim twist of fate Ed White would ultimately perish in 1967 when he, along with astronauts Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee, were burned up in an Apollo capsule due to an out-of-control fire."

They deserve to be remembered.
***

"On July 16, 1969, Armstrong and his crew got up early, had breakfast, and then headed over to the launch pad. Upon their arrival, they entered a special elevator that allowed them to rise several stories until they reached the very top of the rocket, upon which their space capsule was perched. The men then walked across a gangway, entered the capsule, and prepared for blast-off.

"Mission control counted down the seconds until an explosion of rocket fuel blew out of the bottom of the craft, and the ship began to rise up and away from the launch tower. The first stage of the rocket launched the fiery ship up some 40 miles (65 kilometers) before its fuel was expended, and the first stage was jettisoned. The craft’s second stage engine then fired up to send the ship hurtling even farther and on into Earth orbit. When the second stage dropped, the third and final rocket engine fired, sending the craft on course to the Moon.

"The ship entered the Moon’s gravitational pull a few days later before reaching lunar orbit on July 20. On this date, with Michael Collins manning the controls of the orbiting craft (Columbia), Armstrong and Aldrin boarded the lunar landing module, referred to as the Eagle. The craft made a slow descent to the lunar surface, and upon landing, Armstrong would issue the now-famous proclamation, “The Eagle has landed.”
***

"Even though the craft was being constantly assisted by onboard navigational computers, safely landing the lunar module was an incredibly challenging task. It called for nothing short of a perfect landing. Even if Armstrong and Aldrin survived a crash landing, they would effectively be stranded on the lunar surface. If such a thing had occurred, Michael Collins orbiting the Moon would have only been able to watch helplessly from above. There was no way the orbiting craft would have been able to swoop down and pick up the stranded astronauts. The only way for them to leave the lunar surface was to rocket back up; if the lunar module was destroyed, Armstrong and Aldrin would be as good as lost.

"The stark reality of this fact had then-President Richard Nixon draft two separate speeches for the Moon landing. One was a speech of triumph, which he did indeed end up reading after the successful landing. The other alternative speech was drafted in the event that Armstrong and Aldrin were forever lost and stranded on the lunar surface. This sad, dark speech would have had Nixon speaking of how “Mother Earth” had “dared send two of her sons into the unknown” only to have them forever entombed on the “corner of another world.”"

The president who had set it in motion was JFK, and he's so remembered. It's a tad startling to be reminded that the actual event was during the Nixon years, because it wasn't accidental that his era is inextricably linked in everybody's consciousness with Watergate and it's exposure resulting in his impeachment.
***

"It was not exactly an uplifting message, and thankfully Nixon never had to read it because Armstrong and Aldrin would indeed successfully land the lunar module without sustaining any damage to the craft. For a while, though, it was rough going, and it was only due to the quick thinking of Armstrong that a crash landing was avoided. The module’s onboard computers had the craft headed to what Armstrong thought was a far too rocky section of the Moon. As such, he disengaged the computer and, at the last minute, brought the craft in for a manual landing, where he executed a perfect touch-down on a nice and smooth surface.

"Upon their successful landing, Neil and Buzz had to quickly go about their business on the Moon. It has long been wondered why the engagement appeared to be so rushed, but according to later testimony, there were two main reasons. Firstly, it was due to the lack of sustainable oxygen for the astronauts. They only had a certain amount of oxygen, and they had to make sure they met their objectives on the lunar surface before they ran out. Secondly, no one knew for sure how the spacesuits would cope with the Moon’s extreme temperatures, which can range from about 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 Celsius) to -200 degrees Fahrenheit (-130 Celsius).
***

"It was Neil Armstrong himself who made the first step onto the Moon. He signified the feat by acknowledging both the unique moment given to him as well as the momentous occasion it presented to all of humanity. Armstrong expressed these feelings by stating, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” This quote, which Armstrong came up with on his own, became a source of great discussion since the radio transmission did not pick the “a” before “man,” rendering the statement, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Perhaps Neil, in the heat of the moment, misspoke, or maybe the “a” was simply obscured by radio static—as of yet, there is no way of knowing for certain."

Why not realise that it was intentional, deliberate, intended to mean far more than mere "one small step for a man"?

"Whatever the case may be, Armstrong was fulfilling a personal dream of his, but he also understood the larger role he was playing for humanity; some 600 million of his fellow human beings were, in fact, anxiously watching this moment on their television screens. Although it was American astronauts who had landed on the Moon, it wasn’t their triumph alone; it was a feat collectively experienced by all of humankind. It’s often been said that as divisive as the 1960s may have been, it was the 1969 Moon landing that truly brought a sense of commonality to people. The feeling was universal and quite simple; two individuals from Earth had made the trip to the Moon, and all of Earth stood in awe of what they had just borne witness to."
***

"After the Eagle successfully touched down on the lunar surface, Armstrong, followed by Aldrin, stepped foot on the Moon. Here, everything was new for them, and their first task was simply to get a feel for what walking on the Moon was like. Prior to their stepping foot on the lunar surface, there was some debate as to how much surface tension the Moon actually had. Some insisted it must be quite solid, while others argued that there could be areas as soft as quicksand where the unwary astronauts might sink. Fortunately for Armstrong and Aldrin, the surface appeared to be quite stable, and besides being a bit lighter due to the Moon’s reduction in gravity, they were able to walk and even hop along the lunar ground without any trouble at all.

"After these first basic experiments in walking on the Moon, Armstrong laid down a special plaque on the lunar surface. The plaque was inscribed with the date of the landing and a simple message of how human beings from Earth had landed on the Moon and had done so with entirely peaceful intentions. This narrative of peace was quite important during the Cold War since prior to the American landing on the Moon, there were real fears of the militarization of the Moon. It was in light of such musings that NASA deemed it important to clearly demonstrate that the Moon landing was a peaceful mission of exploration and not one of military conquest. Even so, Armstrong and Aldrin’s next gesture—the planting of an American flag—would be seen by some as a sign of the United States attempting to somehow claim ownership of the Moon.

"At any rate, for two and a half hours, the astronauts explored a small corner of the Moon, collected some rock samples, and conducted some basic experiments before returning to the Eagle. They would then begin the arduous process of lifting off the lunar surface and docking back with the orbiting craft piloted by Michael Collins. The real moment of truth occurred when they were back in the Eagle, wringing their hands over whether or not the lander would still function well enough to launch them up to the orbiting craft.
***

"Although they discovered that the ignition switch for the ascent engine had broken, they were able to start the launch by using part of a pen. After the appropriate controls were activated, the craft’s thrusters fired, and they were sent aloft without any problems. They then successfully with the orbiter and were greeted by an entirely relieved Michael Collins, who welcomed them back onto the craft that would take them home. The Eagle had now served its purpose and was jettisoned and left to drift back to the Moon, where it would eventually crash and stand as a further testament to humanity’s arrival on the Moon."

That should read "They then successfully docked", or "They then docked successfully".
***

"With everything in order, Michael Collins toggled the controls on the orbiter and sent it flying back toward the Earth. On July 24, Armstrong and company then splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. They were seasick and entirely exhausted at this point and were eager to finally get out of the cramped confines of the capsule. Nevertheless, they patiently waited to be picked up by the recovery team. They were picked up by way of a helicopter, which sent them to a waiting naval craft, the U.S.S. Hornet, where they would make the last leg of their journey.

"It seemed that Armstrong and his fellow Apollo astronauts had gone full circle: from the most advanced tools of exploration (spacecraft) to the most ancient (boat). Upon boarding the Hornet, these astronauts were then ferried back to dry land, where they would have to stay in quarantine out of fear of the possibility that they may have picked up some unknown germs from the Moon. Such things might almost seem laughable today, but it just goes to show how much of an unknown territory these brave explorers had stumbled into.
***

"The astronauts remained in quarantine for three weeks before they were allowed to walk freely. It was a cumbersome burden for anyone to have placed on them, but these brave souls knew this would be the case in advance, and they gladly agreed to the stint in isolation as yet another part of their incredible journey. Upon their release, these intrepid explorers were celebrated as heroes and toured the country to the delight of jubilant crowds of admirers. At one event in Chicago alone, it’s said that the astronauts were greeted by a crowd of over two million people.

"But not everyone was enthusiastic about the Moon mission. At times, protesters gathered to express their disdain for what they viewed as a waste of money on space exploration, which they argued could be used for domestic programs at home. Armstrong even met some of these critics face-to-face during his trip to Chicago. Addressing them directly, he argued the benefits of space exploration for scientific advancement, as well as improving social cohesion at home. But what really seemed to melt hearts was when Armstrong spoke of how space exploration was really an exploration of our own inner being. He argued that the better we understand the cosmos, the better we understand ourselves. These remarks struck a chord, and even those who had gathered to protest began to applaud. Armstrong, although often pegged as the strong silent type, was indeed an impassioned speaker when the opportunity arose. His words would later be echoed by the likes of Carl Sagan, with similar brilliance.
***

"It was shortly after this epic speech that Neil and his compatriots headed back to California to get to spend some much-needed quality time with their family members. This was not before being treated to an extravagant state dinner, where each was given a Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon. The next day, the astronauts headed over to Houston to do a segment for the TV news program Meet the Press. It was only after this that they finally allowed themselves to have some private time on their own.

"In order to avoid further attention, Armstrong and his family spent a relaxing few weeks at the private ranch of Learjet mogul Harry Combs. Here, they were able to ride horses, walk trails, and enjoy the quiet side of life as they reconnected with nature. Most importantly, they were able to reconnect with themselves. Neil and Janet’s marriage had been quite strained by the nonstop training for missions that had taken place during the lead-up to the Moon landing. As incredible as landing on the Moon was, the Armstrongs were now looking forward to simply being able to catch their breath and catch up with each other.
***

"“I fully expected that, by the end of the century, we would have achieved substantially more than we actually did.”

"—Neil Armstrong"

True. Probably most did, after the tremendous leap of landing and stepping out on the Moon - such as landing and stepping out on not only Mars but other planets, in particular outer ones.

In the event, what was actually achieved was far more long-term and farsighted, in various missions such as Pioneer and, all the more so, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 being priorotised over the obvious alternative steps, of orbiting and - or - landing on other planets of Solar System, which latter has been also proceeded with, however slowly it'd seem to be so.
***

"After leaving these powerful organizations, Armstrong picked up a simple teaching post for the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Word had leaked out to the press ahead of his first class session, and to Armstrong’s chagrin, his first day of teaching was plagued with reporters wandering around on campus. Nevertheless, Armstrong attempted to make a good show of paying them no heed. With cameras flashing, he marched right up to his class nestled in Rhodes Hall, and ignoring questions being shouted out at him, he entered the classroom and shut the door behind him, leaving the news reporters out in the cold."

Good show, Armstrong! Very proper stance for a true member of academia!

"Soon the reporters lost interest, and Neil Armstrong was able to prove himself as a wonderfully talented professor. During his tenure at the university, he also continued to push his vision for future space missions. He declared to all who would listen that the Moon landing he took part in should not be a one-off journey. He discussed how space travel should be made routine, and deep space exploration, in particular, should be made a priority."

That's exactly what seems to have been the direction that NASA proceeded with, since then.
***

"Many scientific advancements and inventions would indeed come from space exploration. Among these are cordless tools, solar cells, memory foam, wireless headsets, smaller cameras and computers, and ways to purify air and water. Neil Armstrong, for one, worked to create a pump to circulate blood in heart-lung machines and artificial hearts. His inspiration for this was the so-called Apollo pump, which circulated cooling water through his spacesuit during the Moon mission. Neil Armstrong was known for innovative feats of engineering, but his concept of adapting the spacesuit for use in hospitals on Earth was indeed quite extraordinary.

"Armstrong would go on to teach for eight years before leaving the profession in 1980. Although he never gave any official reason as to why he left when he did, some have surmised that it was due to politics. Neil Armstrong had largely kept his political views to himself. The closest he came to speaking on political ideology was in a lecture dating back to 1976 when he spoke of the need to loosen government regulation in order to free up creativity. His words are couched in vague terms, but one can get the sense of a conservative railing against big government. Otherwise, Armstrong was mostly tight-lipped on his political views. It’s said that the campus at which he taught, however, had a faculty that was becoming increasingly politicized, leading Armstrong to desire his extrication from it altogether.
***

"In 1979, just prior to his departure, Armstrong suffered a terrible accident. He was working with some farm equipment on his property when his ring finger got caught up in the machinery. The finger was ripped right off, but Neil had the presence of mind to grab up the severed digit and put it on ice despite the pain and fountain of blood that ensued, knowing that there was the possibility it could be surgically reattached. Neil guessed right since, after a trip to a state-of-the-art hospital and a top-of-the-line surgeon, the severed finger was indeed restored to his hand. His injury explains why he lessened his course load in 1979, but it still doesn’t really explain his sudden departure in 1980.

"At any rate, just before leaving, Neil Armstrong took the time to give a powerful commencement speech for that year’s graduating class. After quietly retiring from his teaching post, Armstrong made his next major public debut in 1983, on what was the 25th anniversary of the founding of NASA. In commemoration of this milestone, he appeared in a TV special hosted by Bob Hope, which was broadcast on NBC. A couple of years later, Armstrong again made headlines in a major way when he joined a 1985 expedition to the North Pole. The expedition consisted of a veritable all-star cast of explorers which included Armstrong, Patrick Morrow, Steve Fossett, and the New Zealand climbing expert Edmund Hillary.
***


"Right on the heels of this great adventure, Armstrong was recruited by the Reagan administration to sit on the board of the National Commission on Space. It was a consulting gig and would have Armstrong giving presentations on future aspirations of space travel in a very similar vein as he had done in the past for NASA. Armstrong’s vision was once again far-reaching as he argued not only for manned exploration of Mars but for eventual colonization of the entire solar system as a whole.

"Neil Armstrong was excited at the future prospects of space travel, and for a while, it seemed that just about anything was possible. A short time later, however, on January 28, 1986, the horror of the Challenger disaster transpired. The Challenger Space Shuttle was carrying a crew of both astronauts and specially picked civilians when a major malfunction occurred right after take-off. The shuttle erupted in a fiery explosion ....

[Neera Kapahi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon led a very inspirational life. The world was riveted and in awe when this took place in 1969.

The book was a very interesting look at his work and accomplishments - he flew two space missions. He was a pilot, engineer and later a college professor. We get to know a little about him as a person.

[F · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume represents to me the best of these stories. A solid picture of an individual that I know something about but not enough. This fills in gaps, encourages further reading [or discourages as the case may be] and broadens the perspective.
This particular volume was very enlightening and enjoyable.

[coli james campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

BRIGHT STAR

What a great man he was he will go down in the world's history books in what he did for mankind the book was very good and told me many things I did not know God bless america

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot in this short biography. I found it very informative and well worth the read. I was surprised to learn of the many times Armstrong had faced death long before he entered the space program. What a remarkably brave man he was. What an incredible life he had.

[Kenneth W. Hreha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Few Details

I was hoping to learn more about him than this book provided. Instead the book read like a simple news paper summary

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short biography. Good beginning.

[William Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong and courageous man who was nonetheless humble about himself and proud of American achievements 👏. Comprehensive book. Highly recommended.

[Thordur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really did love reading this book.

[D M Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Excellent quick read about NA. Interesting facts I
didn't know about him. Loved reading about the moon landing. Thank you

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and easy to read.

[Gail Marsengill · Rating 5 out of 5]

great look at an American hero

What I liked the most was that you covered a lot of information that I did not know. Also, straight to the point without a lot of peripheral words.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unknown author means unknown viewpoint.