The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space
by: Eugene Cernan, Donald A. Davis
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Amazon.com Review:
That "Geno" Cernan was commander of Apollo 17, thefinal manned moon mission, was a fitting conclusion to a flying careerthat included two previous stints in space (Gemini 9 andApollo 10). His frank, earthy memoir of his years at NASA addsanother entertaining, informative volume to the burgeoning shelf ofbooks illuminating the inner workings of the space program and thepeople who made it happen. Coauthor Don Davis, a veteran journalist,helps Cernan craft a colloquial prose style that nicely captures thecompetitive, macho personality that seemed virtually mandatory forastronauts in the 1960s and '70s. Cernan candidly depicts the recklessstreak that twice led to needless injuries jeopardizing his spot on amission. He also acknowledges the stresses endured by his ex-spouseBarbara as she struggled to be the perfect astronaut wife--cheerfuland uncomplaining for the cameras while he experienced all the fun andadventure of the job. And it sure was fun, as becomes clear in theexciting descriptions of his spacewalk from Gemini 9 and strollaround the moon from Apollo 17. Detailed accounts of eachflight, including technical problems and personal tensions(particularly with Apollo 17 teammate Jack Schmitt, distrustedbecause he was a scientist, not a test pilot), remind readers that thespace program is a human endeavor, with inevitable failures that makethe triumphs that much sweeter. --Wendy Smith
Product Description:
Eugene Cernan is a unique American who came of age as an astronaut during the most exciting and dangerous decade of spaceflight.His career spanned the entire Gemini and Apollo programs, from being the first person to spacewalk all the way around our world to the moment when he left man's last footprint on the Moon as commander of Apollo 17.
Between those two historic events lay more adventures than an ordinary person could imagine as Cernan repeatedly put his life, his family and everything he held dear on the altar of an obsessive desire.Written with New York Times bestselling author Don Davis, this is the astronaut story never before told - about the fear, love and sacrifice demanded of the few men who dared to reach beyond the heavens for the biggest prize of all - the Moon.
That "Geno" Cernan was commander of Apollo 17, thefinal manned moon mission, was a fitting conclusion to a flying careerthat included two previous stints in space (Gemini 9 andApollo 10). His frank, earthy memoir of his years at NASA addsanother entertaining, informative volume to the burgeoning shelf ofbooks illuminating the inner workings of the space program and thepeople who made it happen. Coauthor Don Davis, a veteran journalist,helps Cernan craft a colloquial prose style that nicely captures thecompetitive, macho personality that seemed virtually mandatory forastronauts in the 1960s and '70s. Cernan candidly depicts the recklessstreak that twice led to needless injuries jeopardizing his spot on amission. He also acknowledges the stresses endured by his ex-spouseBarbara as she struggled to be the perfect astronaut wife--cheerfuland uncomplaining for the cameras while he experienced all the fun andadventure of the job. And it sure was fun, as becomes clear in theexciting descriptions of his spacewalk from Gemini 9 and strollaround the moon from Apollo 17. Detailed accounts of eachflight, including technical problems and personal tensions(particularly with Apollo 17 teammate Jack Schmitt, distrustedbecause he was a scientist, not a test pilot), remind readers that thespace program is a human endeavor, with inevitable failures that makethe triumphs that much sweeter. --Wendy Smith
Product Description:
Eugene Cernan is a unique American who came of age as an astronaut during the most exciting and dangerous decade of spaceflight.His career spanned the entire Gemini and Apollo programs, from being the first person to spacewalk all the way around our world to the moment when he left man's last footprint on the Moon as commander of Apollo 17.
Between those two historic events lay more adventures than an ordinary person could imagine as Cernan repeatedly put his life, his family and everything he held dear on the altar of an obsessive desire.Written with New York Times bestselling author Don Davis, this is the astronaut story never before told - about the fear, love and sacrifice demanded of the few men who dared to reach beyond the heavens for the biggest prize of all - the Moon.
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Recalling the "angry alligator"
Gene Cernan's book is one of those which you begin to read when going to bed and ... cannot sleep until the "The End"! Calmly and steadily, the right words describing the important aspects of life and career of one of the few astronauts who went twice to the Moon. In the description of the EVA on Gemini 9 mission, we are almost out of breath while reading about the problems Cernan had. And we can recall the "angry alligator" and the complete history of Apollo XVII.
Rating: - The Last Man on the Moon
A great story about a boy perusing his dreem of flinging jet planes and going above and beond even what Gene dreamed. The personal side of Genes familey and the sacerfices of All
Rating: 
- bad read
A surprisingly bad read.I thought I was going to get a detailed, engaging and POSITIVE story about the Apollo program and Apollo 17 in particular. What I did get was a trip in egocentrism, bad-mouthing and disturbingly irrational reasoning. I won't go into detail, but here is a short example of this:in a peer vote Mr. Cernan voted Rusty Schweickart, Walt Cunningham
and Buzz Aldrin as the worst---because Schweickart was an "irreverant intellectual",Aldrin liked talking about rendezvous and Cunningham ... Read More
Rating: - This book answers the question: What did it feel like?
When I started to read The Last Man on the Moon I wondered: What did it feel like to walk in space and onthe moon?I got more than I bargained for.I enjoyed one of the greatest true adventures of all times when Cernan removed the shackles of the earth and took me to places where few have gone.
Cernan's book is exceptional at describing what it felt like to be an astronaut in the 1960s and what it was like to walk in space and on the moon.
One of the parts I could relate to ... Read More
Rating: 
- Exceptionally well-written.It's a pleasure to read.
It's no surprise that it's well-written considering how many journalists (and potential co-authors) Gene Cernan knows.It is accessible to all because they kept it non-technical.
The author keeps his family in the forefront and puts his wife and daughter on a pedestal.He lets us in on how an Apollo astronaut's career could be a real marriage-tester due to his time away from home, and the wife being on stage.I liked the way they chronicled the story not only with dates, but with what songs ... Read More
- Recalling the "angry alligator"Gene Cernan's book is one of those which you begin to read when going to bed and ... cannot sleep until the "The End"! Calmly and steadily, the right words describing the important aspects of life and career of one of the few astronauts who went twice to the Moon. In the description of the EVA on Gemini 9 mission, we are almost out of breath while reading about the problems Cernan had. And we can recall the "angry alligator" and the complete history of Apollo XVII.
- The Last Man on the MoonA great story about a boy perusing his dreem of flinging jet planes and going above and beond even what Gene dreamed. The personal side of Genes familey and the sacerfices of All
- bad readA surprisingly bad read.I thought I was going to get a detailed, engaging and POSITIVE story about the Apollo program and Apollo 17 in particular. What I did get was a trip in egocentrism, bad-mouthing and disturbingly irrational reasoning. I won't go into detail, but here is a short example of this:in a peer vote Mr. Cernan voted Rusty Schweickart, Walt Cunningham
and Buzz Aldrin as the worst---because Schweickart was an "irreverant intellectual",Aldrin liked talking about rendezvous and Cunningham ... Read More
- This book answers the question: What did it feel like? When I started to read The Last Man on the Moon I wondered: What did it feel like to walk in space and onthe moon?I got more than I bargained for.I enjoyed one of the greatest true adventures of all times when Cernan removed the shackles of the earth and took me to places where few have gone.
Cernan's book is exceptional at describing what it felt like to be an astronaut in the 1960s and what it was like to walk in space and on the moon.
One of the parts I could relate to ... Read More
- Exceptionally well-written.It's a pleasure to read.It's no surprise that it's well-written considering how many journalists (and potential co-authors) Gene Cernan knows.It is accessible to all because they kept it non-technical.
The author keeps his family in the forefront and puts his wife and daughter on a pedestal.He lets us in on how an Apollo astronaut's career could be a real marriage-tester due to his time away from home, and the wife being on stage.I liked the way they chronicled the story not only with dates, but with what songs ... Read More
