Appointment on the Moon, Revised Edition

by Richard S. Lewis

Book by Lewis, Richard S.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Space

Hardcover

Published November 26, 1969

Reviews

[James Hold · Rating 2 out of 5]

An extensively detailed account of the space race from the end of WW2 to the landing on the moon. In it you learn how the space program could have been 10 years further along if only the different branches of the military had worked together on the project. You can thank Curtis Le May for it not happening. US rocketry could have advanced at a rapid rate if not for his head up his backside.

The book though packs a TMI overload and it has to be taken in small doses..

One thing I learned in passing is James Van Allen for whom the Van Allen Radiation Belt is named did not actually discover them. A guy named Carl McIlwain did. This should come as no surprise to anyone. It's a common practice for scientists with more standing to take credit for the work of others. Einstein, Edison, Galileo, Bell, Whitney, and countless others did it so why should Van Allen be an exception?

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best of the early 'synopsis books' about the early space program, written by a veteran newspaper reporter who apparently covered the missions. I think this was published very soon after the conclusion of Apollo 11, the first human landing on the moon. Very well written and respectful of the reader, with plenty of data for fans of the subject. Lewis' newspaper experience serves the reader quite well. Not just for completists, this is recommended reading for anyone interested in the early space age.

[Brian Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read literally dozens of books about the US space program, not to mention completing a 1980 master’s thesis on Eisenhower’s space science policy, I maintain that Appointment on the Moon by Richard S. Lewis is still the best single volume account of the quest for space from inception through the Apollo 11 mission. He captures not only the man-in-space initiative but also the satellite and space probe projects such as Telstar, Explorer, Tiros, and Pioneer, that kept us all fascinated through the early years of the 1960s.

The book carries a copyright of 1969, and I first read it many years ago. To be honest, with the current sh** show of the world in late 2025, I re-read the book needing a major dose of nostalgia. Lewis delivers that, capturing the excitement with first-hand descriptions from his work as a science journalist covering the events as they happened. And don’t let the “journalist” attribution put you off. As the NASA website describes him, “Richard ‘Dick’ S. Lewis was a science reporter who had tremendous credibility and made a real difference in the world.” Appointment on the Moon is a classic.

[Gert-Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book.

[Jim Brohard · Rating 5 out of 5]

read it years ago and enjoyed every page