Showing posts with label astronomy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label astronomy. Show all posts

Sunday, July 26, 2020

Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm


Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: graphic non-fiction
Read 20 in 2020 category: graphic non-fiction
Review: This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of spaceflight.  Those who are already well-read may not learn much that's new, but even if you already know it all, you'll be drawn in by the visuals.  Fetter-Vorn's illustrations are first-rate, clearly showing the expressions on the faces of his characters.  The best is their wonder at the stars and the universe, whether studying it through a telescope, or through the window of a spacecraft.  If you're looking for an introduction or an overview, you can't ask for much more than this.

Yes, Fetter-Vorn tells the familiar story of Apollo 11, but interspersed with the chapters that walk us through the moon landing step by step are chapters that relate the history of astronomy from the early myths of different cultures to Kepler and Galileo, the development of rockets, the space race, and much more.  The reader gets not just what feels like an insider's view of the Apollo 11 mission, but a good education that goes down smoothly along the way.


Thursday, August 1, 2013

the comet that disappointed

Night of the Comet by George Bishop
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: historical fiction
Review: I enjoyed George Bishop's first novel, Letter to My Daughter and was excited to read this book, his second.  I was not disappointed.  Bishop explores similar themes in this book, as his narrator looks back on his childhood and the lives of his parents.

Alan Broussard, Jr. looks back on his freshman year of high school, when he fell in love for the first time, his father was his science teacher, his parents' marriage fell apart and came back together, and the comet Kohoutek didn't quite show up.  Bishop is adept at bringing his characters to life and managing all of the threads of his narrative.  The story isn't complicated or startling, but it's believable and satisfying.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.