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Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon

Buzz Aldrin

Hardcover | Pages: 336 pages

Rating: 3.57 | 1489 Users | 176 Reviews

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Title	:	Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon
Author	:	Buzz Aldrin
Book Format	:	Hardcover
Book Edition	:	First Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 336 pages
Published	:	June 23rd 2009 by Harmony Books (first published January 1st 2009)
Categories	:	Nonfiction. Biography. Space. Science. History. Autobiography. Memoir

Rendition As Books 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.

Describe Books Conducive To Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon

Original Title:	Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon
ISBN:	0307463451 (ISBN13: 9780307463456)
Edition Language:	English

Rating About Books Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon

Ratings: 3.57 From 1489 Users | 176 Reviews

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Although the first part of book is really good, going from the moon landing to Aldrin's battle with alcoholism and depression, the last third becomes very self promotional, with a lot of name dropping "My friend the King of Spain..." and promoting his ideas about space exploration.

Have you ever come second in a race, losing by a head? Or come as a runner-up in a competition when there had to be a tiebreak? Or perhaps you have always played second fiddle in some plum role? Now add into this fantasy, the idea that your race was a once in a lifetime event, and one which only a handful of people would ever experience. How do you feel?Now answer this question, "Who was the first person to land on the moon?" OK - Everybody knows it was Neil Armstrong. They might even know the



Have you ever come second in a race, losing by a head? Or come as a runner-up in a competition when there had to be a tiebreak? Or perhaps you have always played second fiddle in some plum role? Now add into this fantasy, the idea that your race was a once in a lifetime event, and one which only a handful of people would ever experience. How do you feel?Now answer this question, "Who was the first person to land on the moon?" OK - Everybody knows it was Neil Armstrong. They might even know the

I have been waiting for this book since last July as we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. I expected to read more about the actual flight and time ON the moon, but discovered that it was a book primarily about Buzz Aldrin's life after Apollo 11 returned home. I should have figured that out since the title says "The long journey home from the moon", but silly me I thought it was about coming home literally from the moon. While perhaps interesting to some, it

This book was not what I expected. I had expected nearly the entire thing to be about the moon landing and that was actually just a small portion of this total book (Maybe 1/4). I did not walk away feeling let down by the book, even if it was not what I expected. After the first portion, which was about the lunar landing, we got into the life of Buzz Aldrin after he had come back. The man had come back a hero to the American people and also to many people outside of the country. This put a huge