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Rating: 
Summary: Best descriptions of the moonwalks in print.
Review: "Exploring the Moon" is a detailed review of the moon walks, especially (nearly 3/4 of the book) of the "J" missions of Apollo 15, 16, and 17. The book has detailed descriptions of the roving on the moon, the work done there and a fair amount about the geological discoveries. For those who spent hours glued to the TV watching these treks of discovery, this book takes you back and gives you new insights. The book also has hundreds of photos from the moon walks, although they are reproduced as tiny images. About the only criticism that I have is that the images are way too small and the book is available only in paperback. One hopes that a large format hardcover edition of this will be released, showing the photos in their full glory. For anybody interested in the actual moonwalks, this is the book to buy!
Rating:
Summary: A steep learning curve for most, but worth it.
Review: A great book for anyone who has a tenacious desire to go beyond their initial romance with a trip to the moon and learn what the "missions" were really all about. It was a tough read though - at least in the beginning. I found that I had to study the glossary for a day or two before I was qualified to understand the complex geological prose that Harland launches into right from page 1. But by the time I finished Apollo 15, I felt like I was an expert at planetary geology and couldn't wait to "explore" more with Apollos 16 and 17! Overall a really terrific book, but nevertheless, I agree with some other reader's criticisms: 1. The basic geological terms and principles should have been explained to laymen throughout the first half of the book. So much of the wonder and excitement of the adventure is dependent on a thorough understanding of what the scientists were searching for. Patient readers (like me) will wade through and learn "the hard way" (checking the glossary often) but Harland could have made the book a smoother ride with a little more "teaching." 2. The pictures could definitely be better. In particular, every mission should have a detailed traverse map up front with all craters and landmarks noted that are mentioned in the text. I found that I had to supplement the book with charts and photos from the internet in order to properly follow along. That's it! I've learned a tremendous amount and am grateful to the author for making me into more of an expert on a subject that I have always loved.
Rating:
Summary: A steep learning curve for most, but worth it.
Review: A great book for anyone who has a tenacious desire to go beyond their initial romance with a trip to the moon and learn what the "missions" were really all about. It was a tough read though - at least in the beginning. I found that I had to study the glossary for a day or two before I was qualified to understand the complex geological prose that Harland launches into right from page 1. But by the time I finished Apollo 15, I felt like I was an expert at planetary geology and couldn't wait to "explore" more with Apollos 16 and 17! Overall a really terrific book, but nevertheless, I agree with some other reader's criticisms: 1. The basic geological terms and principles should have been explained to laymen throughout the first half of the book. So much of the wonder and excitement of the adventure is dependent on a thorough understanding of what the scientists were searching for. Patient readers (like me) will wade through and learn "the hard way" (checking the glossary often) but Harland could have made the book a smoother ride with a little more "teaching." 2. The pictures could definitely be better. In particular, every mission should have a detailed traverse map up front with all craters and landmarks noted that are mentioned in the text. I found that I had to supplement the book with charts and photos from the internet in order to properly follow along. That's it! I've learned a tremendous amount and am grateful to the author for making me into more of an expert on a subject that I have always loved.
Rating:
Summary: Apollo - telling it like it was
Review: At last,a book about the Apollo missions that does not dwell on Buzz's drinking, one-small-steps or the "unfolding human near-tragedy" that was Apollo 13. These are all great topics but they have been done to death. What Harland has done is chronicle the real reason - well, it later became the real reason - that Nasa went to the Moon. Once the euphoria ofbeating the Russians had worn off, six missions were sent to explore the surface of another planet. One failed, but the 10 men who followed in Aldrin's and Armstrong's footsteps managed to revolutionise our knowledge about the big white disc in the sky. Most of what they did was geology - so there are plenty of rocks here. If you don't know your pyroxenes from your olivines you might struggle a bit, but there is a helpful glossary. You are struck by just how damn hard these men worked in the precious hours and days they had on the lunar surface. there is human drama in this book, but it is in the imagined sweat and tears that must have been exuded to get these results. Finally, you are left reeling by the tragedy of "what might have been". Apollos 18-thru-20 were cancelled, and the Saturn 5s that were to carry further lunar missions now sit rusting in a Nasa carpark. As Harland points out, "they got bored with exploring another planet". If you are interested in the Moon, or simply in why humanity goes into space, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST FOR THOSE INTO SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION
Review: David Harland's book is one of the finest I have ever seen on the Apollo program or on Solar System exploration in general. Getting beyond the techincal aspects of spaceflight, the spacecraft or the astronauts' personalities which have been done by other authors, this book brings out the excitement of exploration and the discovery of the unknown that the Apollo astronauts participated in. Many people have been exposed to a taste of this in the episode about Apollo 15 in Tom Hanks' excellent television series "From the Earth to the Moon" which showed how, under excellent teachers, the astronauts, coming from a background of engineering and aeronautics, became true scientists and explorers. It is true that a lot of geological concepts are thrown at the reader from the beginning and those (like myself) who have no previous background in geology might be intimidated but I find that a careful reading of the excellent glossary contained in the book should give enough background to make the science generally accessible. Harland makes clear why the various landing sites were chosen and what the geological issues were that were to be investigated. Traverse maps showing the various geological features to be explored are included for each mission. The many photographs presented illustrate the main discoveries and their significance. Of special note are the panoramas personally assembled by Harland (which are also available on the internet's Apollo Lunar Surface Journal) which give a stunning view of the Lunar environment as the astronauts saw it. Finally, I strongly urge someone who finds himself becoming more interested in the subject of Lunar geology to also read Don Wilhelm's "To a Rocky Moon" which presents the historical development of our ideas about the Moon up through the famous Kona Conference in 1984 which determined that the Moon was probably created due to a giant body impacting with the fledgling Earth and also Paul Spudis' "The Once and Future Moon" which gives a summary of our state of knowledge up to the mid-1990's and directions for future exploration.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST FOR THOSE INTO SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION
Review: David Harland's book is one of the finest I have ever seen on the Apollo program or on Solar System exploration in general. Getting beyond the techincal aspects of spaceflight, the spacecraft or the astronauts' personalities which have been done by other authors, this book brings out the excitement of exploration and the discovery of the unknown that the Apollo astronauts participated in. Many people have been exposed to a taste of this in the episode about Apollo 15 in Tom Hanks' excellent television series "From the Earth to the Moon" which showed how, under excellent teachers, the astronauts, coming from a background of engineering and aeronautics, became true scientists and explorers. It is true that a lot of geological concepts are thrown at the reader from the beginning and those (like myself) who have no previous background in geology might be intimidated but I find that a careful reading of the excellent glossary contained in the book should give enough background to make the science generally accessible. Harland makes clear why the various landing sites were chosen and what the geological issues were that were to be investigated. Traverse maps showing the various geological features to be explored are included for each mission. The many photographs presented illustrate the main discoveries and their significance. Of special note are the panoramas personally assembled by Harland (which are also available on the internet's Apollo Lunar Surface Journal) which give a stunning view of the Lunar environment as the astronauts saw it. Finally, I strongly urge someone who finds himself becoming more interested in the subject of Lunar geology to also read Don Wilhelm's "To a Rocky Moon" which presents the historical development of our ideas about the Moon up through the famous Kona Conference in 1984 which determined that the Moon was probably created due to a giant body impacting with the fledgling Earth and also Paul Spudis' "The Once and Future Moon" which gives a summary of our state of knowledge up to the mid-1990's and directions for future exploration.
Rating:
Summary: A great read.
Review: From Patrick Moore's foreword to Dave Scott's afterword David Harland's book Exploring the Moon is one of the most stimulating step-by-step accounts of lunar exploration to date. With an immense amount of geological and scientific material, this book is a necessary read for anyone interested in the history of Moon exploration. The whole period is covered, from the early unmanned probes, hard and soft landers, to extensive details of the Apollo Project, through to the present day Lunar Prospector. With the book's emphasis mainly detailing the Apollo Project, there are a large number of photographs taken by the astronauts, some of which have not been published before. David Harland has also joined together a large number of the pan photo's to great effect and with tremendous skill. The later Apollo 'J'-missions are covered in great detail, with every geological stop explained and scrutinised and their merits considered, along with the thinking of the day, to our present day knowledge. There is a useful appendix covering the missions, landing sites and even lunar samples, and an extensive chronological bibliography. I know that David Harland is an Apollo Lunar Surface Journal contributor and that this is a fitting companion. This is a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, But Not Great
Review: Having written on the space shuttle and the Russian space station Mir, David Harland now ventures further back into the history of space exploration with this book. Exploring the Moon is a welcome addition to the plethora of books regarding the Apollo Program, providing an on-the-surface narrative and and scientific analysis of the missions reminiscient of the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal. After a section on the unmanned probes in the 1960's (Ranger, Lunar Orbiter, and Surveyor), he moves on to the Apollo flights, outlining the moonwalks on Apollo 11, 12, and 14, and then spends the bulk of the book outlining the Apollo "J" missions-Apollo 15, 16, and 17, which featured advanced life support systems in the lunar module and the astronauts' backpacks, an extended three days on the lunar surface, and a four-wheeled battery-powered buggy known as the Lunar Roving Vehicle. While most books focus on the technology that got America to the moon, few jave focused on the subsequent excursions of the spacesuit-clad astronauts on the lunar surface. This book does so magnificently, combining technical commentary with the words the astronauts spoke and the photographs they took. With the bonanza of lunar information provided by the last three Apollo missions, you will wonder why we felt inclined to cancel the Apollo missions 18, 19, and 20. Overall, I think this book covers lunar science and geology superbly, is a great adventure story, and a unique contribution to the studies of lunar science and planetary geology.
Rating:
Summary: Very Highly Recommended!
Review: I felt a little trepidation in buying this book because my geology background is limited at best. However, when I started reading I couldn't put the book down. I finally, after all these years, got a clear idea of the evolution of those first trips to another planet. The geology is there but it does not detract at all. I really started to understand what it was like to explore the moon on foot and rover - the time rush, the excitement of seeing things for the first time, the dissapointment of having to drop planned stops, and the overwhelming sense of accomplishment. I've read many books about Apollo but this is the first to convey what it was like "to be there". One minor complaint is that I felt the Apollo CSM J-missions were not discussed sufficiently. All the attention has always been on the men on the ground but one lonely astronaut spent several days doing very valuable science. It is discussed but I would have liked to have seen some more depth. However, all in all, I unreservedly recommend this book to all interested in those halcyon days.
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