Buzz Aldrin Books

Easton Press Buzz Aldrin books:
Men From Earth - Signed by Buzz Aldrin as part of the 6 volume Astronaut Library - 1997
First on the Moon - Co-authored with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins  1999
The Return - Signed Edition with signatures of Buzz Aldrin and co-author John Barnes - 2000
NASA: The Complete Illustrated History - Signed Edition - 2005
Space Flight - Signed Edition - 2007
Magnificent Desolation - Signed Edition - 2009

 

 
Men From Earth
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed their Lunar Module on the moon's Sea of Tranquility and became the first two humans to walk on the moon. This unprecedented heroic endeavor was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history. Marking the 20th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, Buzz publishes Men From Earth, a detailed and astonishing account of America's race with the Soviets to the moon. The book ends with an epilogue venturing Outward, which looks toward future space travel through the year 2009.


The Return
On July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin made history when he and Neil Armstrong placed humankind's first steps on the Moon. Now, along with award-winning novelist John Barnes, Aldrin offers a compelling novel about the opportunities and dangers that confront us in space today. Minute by minute, the International Space Station gets closer to tumbling out of orbit. Only former astronaut Scott Blackstone and his network of allies, fueled by their strong senses of idealism, can mount a rescue of the Station, and of the space program itself.


NASA: The Complete Illustrated History
Authoritatively and engagingly written, this book tells the story of American space exploration from the early 20th century to the present, covering every US space mission ever undertaken, including those of projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, and the development of the Space Shuttle.


Space Flight
This compelling story of exploration charts and celebrates humankind in space, from Sputnik's launch in 1957 through the Apollo Moon landings and the International Space Station to future missions to Mars and beyond.

Spaceflight chronicles how, in the half-century that followed Sputnik, the world was revolutionized by space travel and exploration. The opening up of Earth's orbit to satellites led to a revolution in communications, monitoring of the environment, and materials science. For the human imagination, the impact has been even greater: the voyages of robotic space probes have transformed our view of the Solar System, while Earth-orbiting satellites and missions to the Moon have forever changed our view of ourselves.

This book is a celebration of human ingenuity and imagination. From the work of pioneers like Wernher von Braun, Yuri Gagarin, and Neil Armstrong to the triumphs and tragedies that followed, it reveals the people, science, and technology that have propelled us into the Space Age.


Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon
Forty years ago, Buzz Aldrin became the second human, minutes after Neil Armstrong, to set foot on a celestial body other than the Earth. The event remains one of mankind’s greatest achievements and was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history. In the years since, millions more have had their Earth-centric perspective unalterably changed by the iconic photograph of Aldrin standing on the surface of the moon, the blackness of space behind him and his fellow explorer and the Eagle reflected in his visor. Describing the alien world he was walking upon, he uttered the words “magnificent desolation.” And as the astronauts later sat in the Eagle, waiting to begin their journey back home, knowing that they were doomed unless every system and part on board worked flawlessly, it was Aldrin who responded to Mission Control’s clearance to take off with the quip, “Roger. Understand. We’re number one on the runway.”

The flight of Apollo 11 made Aldrin one of the most famous persons on our planet, yet few people know the rest of this true American hero’s story. In Magnificent Desolation, Aldrin not only gives us a harrowing first-person account of the lunar landing that came within seconds of failure and the ultimate insider’s view of life as one of the superstars of America’s space program, he also opens up with remarkable candor about his more personal trials–and eventual triumphs back on Earth. From the glory of being part of the mission that fulfilled President Kennedy’s challenge to reach the moon before the decade was out, Aldrin returned home to an Air Force career stripped of purpose or direction, other than as a public relations tool that NASA put to relentless use in a seemingly nonstop world tour. The twin demons of depression and alcoholism emerged the first of which Aldrin confronted early and publicly, and the second of which he met with denial until it nearly killed him. He burned through two marriages, his Air Force career came to an inglorious end, and he found himself selling cars for a living when he wasn’t drunkenly wrecking them. Redemption came when he finally embraced sobriety, gained the love of a woman, Lois, who would become the great joy of his life, and dedicated himself to being a tireless advocate for the future of space exploration not only as a scientific endeavor but also as a thriving commercial enterprise.

These days Buzz Aldrin is enjoying life with an enthusiasm that reminds us how far it is possible for a person to travel, literally and figuratively. As an adventure story, a searing memoir of self-destruction and self-renewal, and as a visionary rallying cry to once again set our course for Mars and beyond, Magnificent Desolation is the thoroughly human story of a genuine hero.