BUZZ ALDRIN

BIBLIOGRAPHY & BOOK REVIEWS

BOOKS

Aldrin, Buzz, with Ken Abraham. Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey
Home From The Moon. New York: Harmony Crown Publishing Group, 2009.

Aldrin, Buzz, Illustrated by Wendell Minor. Look to the Stars. New York:
Penguin Young Readers Group, 2009.

Aldrin, Buzz, Illustrated by Wendell Minor. Reaching for the Moon. New York:
Harper Collins, 2005.

Aldrin, Buzz, and John Barnes, with Foreword by Arthur C. Clarke. The Return.
New York: Forge Books, 2000.

Aldrin, Buzz, and John Barnes. Encounter with Tiber. New York: Warner
Books, 1996.

Aldrin, Buzz, and Malcolm McConnell. Men From Earth. New York: Bantam
Books, 1989.

Aldrin, Buzz, and Wayne Warga. Return to Earth. New York: Random House,
1973.

Aldrin, Buzz, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins. First on the Moon. New
York: Little Brown & Company, 1970.

ARTICLES

Aldrin, Buzz, and Taylor Dinerman. “Let’s Go Back to the Moon.”

PajamasMedia.com. 22 Feb 2007.

Aldrin, Buzz, with David Noland. “Road Map to Mars.” Popular Mechanics. Dec
2005.

Aldrin, Buzz. “From Earth to Moon to Earth.” Waterkeeper. Fall 2005.

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Aldrin, Buzz. “Satellite of Solitude.” Cosmos. Jul 2005.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Adventurers.” Travel + Leisure. Apr 2005.

Aldrin, Buzz. “America’s Space Program: What We Should Do Next.” Popular

Mechanics. May 2003.

Aldrin, Buzz. “What I’ve Learned.” Esquire. Jan 2003.

Aldrin, Buzz. “U.S. again risks losing space race.” USA Today. Jul 2002.

Aldrin, Buzz, and James Oberg. “A Bus Between Planets.” Scientific

American. 21 Mar 2000.

Aldrin, Buzz, and Bryan T. Johnson. “Lost in Space?” Space Times. Sep/Oct
1999.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Introducing ShareSpace.” Ad Astra. May/Jun 1998.

Aldrin, Buzz. “The Dream of Spaceflight.” The Explorers Journal. Spring 1998.

Aldrin, Buzz, and Ron Jones. “Star Booster: A Commercial Solution to Cost
Effective and Versatile Reusable Space Transportation—Part 1.” Ad Astra.
May/Jun 1997: 26-30.

Aldrin, Buzz, and Ron Jones. “Star Booster: Catalyst For The Commercial
Development of Space-Part 2.” Ad Astra. Jul/Aug 1997: 38-42.

Aldrin, Buzz, and Leonard David. “Recycling Our Space—No Deposit…No

Return!” Ad Astra. Jul/Aug 1996: 24-27.

Aldrin, Buzz. “I Want You in Space.” Focus (UK). Jun 1996.

Aldrin, Buzz, and John Kross. “Reusable Launch Vehicles—A Perspective.”

Ad Astra. Mar/Apr 1995: 30-35.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Touchdown. 25 Years Since Tranquility Base.” Ad Astra. Jul-

Aug 1994.

Aldrin, Buzz. “25 Jahre Moonlandung.” Playboy Magazine (Germany). Jul 1994.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Return to the Moon.” Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Jul 1994.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Why I Walked on the Moon.” Popular Mechanics. Jul 1994.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Barnstorming the Future.” Discover Magazine. Nov 1993.

Aldrin, Buzz. “The Eagle Has Landed.” Phi Kappa Phi Journal. Summer 1993.

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Aldrin, Buzz. “Mars Transit System.” Air & Space Smithsonian. Oct/Nov 1990.

OPINION EDITORIALS

Aldrin, Buzz, and Rick Tumlinson. “Apollo 11 Anniversary: Heroes, Quests

and Space.” Ad Astra. Magazine of the National Space Society. 20 Jul 2006.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Fly Me to L1.” New York Times. 5 Dec 2003.

Aldrin, Buzz and Wyn Wachhorst. “Heroes on the Human Journey.” San
Francisco Chronicle. 5 Feb 2003.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Fear and Flying.” New York Times. 3 Feb 2003.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Just Doing Their Duty.” Los Angeles Times. 3 Feb 2003.

Aldrin, Buzz and Robert Charles. “Apollo 11: The Gift of America’s Spirit.”
The Washington Times. 22 Jul 2002.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Tourists in Space? YES.” New York Times UPFRONT Magazine.
6 May 2002.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Daring to Dream Again.” Washington Times. 20 Jul 2001.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Space Travel for Everyone.” Wall Street Journal. 25 May 2001.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Glenn Shows We All Can Have the Right Stuff.” Wall Street
Journal. 28 Oct 1998.

Aldrin, Buzz. “Let’s Return to the Moon for Good.” Los Angeles Times. 22 Jul
1984.

CHAPTER CONTRIBUTIONS

Aldrin, Buzz. Looking Backward, Looking Forward. Chapter: “The

Experience of Spaceflight: Apollo & Beyond.” Ed. Stephen J. Garber. NASA
History Series, 2002.

Aldrin, Buzz, and Ron Jones. Space—The Free-Market Frontier. Chapter 23:
“Changing the Space Paradigm: Space Tourism and the Future of Space
Travel.” Ed. Edward Hudgins. Washington D.C., Cato Institute, 2002.

Aldrin, Buzz. The Lunar Base Handbook. Essay: Earth-Moon

Transportation. Ed. Peter Eckhart. McGraw Hill Higher Education, 1999.

Aldrin, Buzz and Julian Partridge. The Blue. Chapter: Hidden Depths. Ed.
Natasha Hughes. EM International, 1999.

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Aldrin, Buzz. The Greatest Adventure. Part 1—The Urge to Explore. Part 3 –
Today and Tomorrow. Ed. Edward Gibson. Publisher Group West, 1994.

FOREWORDS

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Space: The First 50 Years. By Patrick Moore and
H.J.P. Arnold. Sterling, 2007.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. World Changing Ideas. By Richard Myers and Bob
Isherwood. Palazzo Editions, 2007.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Spaceflight. The Complete Story from Sputnik to

Shuttle and Beyond. By Giles Sparrow. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2007.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. KIDS TO SPACE. A Space Traveler’s Guide. By

Lonnie Jones Schorer. Apogee Books, 2006.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Rocketeers and Gentlemen Engineers: A History of

the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics...and What Came
Before. By Tom D. Crouch. AIAA, Inc., 2006.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. National Geographic Encyclopedia of Space. By

Linda K. Glover, et al. National Geographic Society, 2005.

Aldrin, Buzz. Introduction. Rocket Man: Astronaut Pete Conrad’s Incredible

Ride to the Moon and Beyond. By Nancy Conrad and Howard A. Klausner.
Penguin Group, 2005.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Galileo for Kids: His Live and Ideas, 25 Activities.
By Richard Panchyk. Chicago Review Press, 2005.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Famous First Flights That Changed History. By

Lowell Thomas, Jr. and Lowell Thomas. Lyons Press, 2004.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. The Moonlandings. By Reginald Turnill. Cambridge

University Press, 2003.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. West Point: The First 200 years. By John Grant,
James Lynch & Ronald Bailey. Globe Pequot Press, 2002.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. The Dream of Spaceflight. By Wyn Wachhorst. Basic

Books, 2000.

Aldrin, Buzz. Introduction. Apollo 11 NASA Mission Reports: Vol. 1. Ed.

Robert Godwin. Apogee Books, 1999.

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Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Space Station Science: Life in Free Fall. By
Marianne J. Dyson. Illustrated by Dave Klug. Scholastic Reference, 1999.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Events That Shaped the Century. By Richard B.

Stolley. Time-Life Books, 1998.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. The Space Publication Guide to Space Careers. By

Scott Sacknoff and Leonard David. Space Publications, 1998.

Aldrin, Buzz. Introduction. Connie & Bonnie’s Birthday Bash. By Ray Nelson
Jr. and Douglas Kelly. Beyond Words Publishing, 1995.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Computers In Space. By James E. Tomakyo. Alpha

Books, 1994.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. The U.S. Space Camp Book of Rockets. By Anne
Baird. Murrow Junior Books, 1991.

Aldrin, Buzz. Foreword. Space Places. By Roger Ressmeyer. Collins

Publishers, 1990.

TECHNICAL PAPERS AND DOCTORAL THESIS

Aldrin, Buzz, Landau, Damon F., Longuski, James M. “Continuous Mars

Habitation with a Limited Number of Cycler Vehicles. “ Journal of the British
Interplanetary Society, vol. 60, no. 4, Apr 2007.

Aldrin, Buzz, Byrnes, D.V., and Longuski, J.M. “Cycler Orbit Between Earth
and Mars.” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. Vol. 30, No. 3. May/Jun 1993.

Aldrin, E. E. “Cyclic Trajectory Concepts.” SAIC presentation to the

Interplanetary Rapid Transit Study Meeting, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 28 Oct
1985.

Aldrin, Jr., Edwin Eugene. LINE-OF-SIGHT GUIDANCE TECHNIQUES FOR

MANNED ORBITAL RENDEZVOUS. MIT Doctoral Thesis. January 1963.

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BOOK REVIEWS
REACHING FOR THE MOON
By Buzz Aldrin, Illustrations by Wendell Minor
Children’s Book, Ages 6-9
Harper Collins Publishers, 2005

Synopsis
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 1-4. A readable autobiography by the Apollo 11 astronaut
who was the second man to walk on the Moon. Aldrin recounts episodes in his
life that influenced his choice to become part of the space program. He briefly
describes how he got his nickname and incidents from his childhood; his first
airplane ride; his time at West Point and as an Air Force pilot; joining NASA; and
his missions in the Gemini and Apollo programs, including the lunar landing.
Although he strains at times to make a connection between his experiences and
his character (e.g., riding his bike alone across the George Washington Bridge as
evidence of his ability to do things himself), overall, the telling is entertaining and
informative. A chronology of milestones in the history of flight is appended.
Excellent, realistic paintings help describe the events mentioned in the text.
Those depicting the space flights are particularly dramatic. Similar in style to Ann
Turner's Abe Lincoln Remembers (HarperCollins, 2001), also illustrated by Minor,
this book should be considered a first purchase. – Jeffrey A. French, Willoughby-
Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH.

Awards
Debuted at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller List for Children’s Picture
Books

Book Sense Children’s Picks List

Parent’s Choice Recommended Award

Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2005

Norman A. Sugarman Children’s Biography Award, 2006 (Cleveland Public

Library)

NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 for 2006

SMBSLT [So Many Books, So Little Time!] Top Ten 2005 Book List

Reviews & Commentary

"A Buzz-worthy book!" – Time for Kids

"Beautiful and realistic illustrations . . . in first-person voice . . . a child’s-eye view

on space exploration." – Kirkus Reviews

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"Calling all dreamers and wannabe space travellers!" – Child Magazine

"Entertaining and informative. Excellent, realistic paintings." – School Library

Journal (starred review)

"Precisely rendered illustrations help this effort really take off . . . . A brief
chronology, which blends events in the history of flight and space exploration
with a few events of Aldrin’s life, rounds out this solid title." – American Library
Association Booklist

Buzz on Reaching for the Moon

“Today's children don't have a realistic impression of space or space travel….
The goal of this book is to re-ignite interest and excitement in the space
program.” – Buzz Aldrin (Reaching for the Moon book tour, AP interview, May
30, 2005)

“Not everyone can explore space. But we all have our own moons to reach for. If
you set your sights high, you may accomplish more than you ever dreamed was
possible. Just as I did.” – Buzz Aldrin (Reaching for the Moon, Epilogue, May,
2005)

***
THE RETURN
By Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes
Forge Books (Tom Doherty Associates), 2000

Synopsis
In this techno-thriller about a PR disaster behind a shuttle mission that could
undercut the entire American space effort, Buzz Aldrin teams up once again with
award winning novelist John Barnes, to write THE RETURN. Aldrin offers a
compelling novel about the opportunities and dangers that confront us today –
and shows why we must, and will, seize the challenges before us.

When a tragic Shuttle accident kills a world-famous basketball player on his trip
into space, a trip that had been planned as a PR coup for the space program,
former astronaut Scott Blackstone is out of a job. Worse, he and his "Citizen
Observer" program are vilified in the media, and he's being sued for a billion
dollars. His older brother, Nick, research chief for a major aerospace firm,
persuades Scott's estranged ex-wife, Thalia – a top-ranked attorney – to take on
Scott's defense. Gradually, it begins to appear that the "accident" might not have
been an accident at all.

Meanwhile, as long feared, India and Pakistan go to war – and, worse, Pakistan
deploys a nuclear device high in the upper atmosphere, putting the crew of the
orbiting International Space Station in imminent danger of destruction by
radiation exposure. While the world's space vehicles are grounded by the
radiation storm set off by the detonation, only a few weeks remain to rescue the

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crew, and there's no known way to do it. Save, perhaps, for a secret project of
Nick's...

THE RETURN is a story of larger than life characters, global crises, and big,
daring ideas that spark our unending fascination with space exploration... and –
as told by Buzz Aldrin – it carries a ring of truth. He's been there. He's done that.
And he's already helped change the world.

Dr. Buzz Aldrin was watched by the largest television audience in history as he
and Neil Armstrong became the first humans to walk on the moon. He is a
graduate of MIT, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and one of the
world's best-known advocates for the exploration of outer space. He lives in Los
Angeles.

John Barnes is the acclaimed author of Mother of Storms, A Million Open Doors,
Finity, and many other novels. He lives in Gunnison, Colorado. Aldrin and Barnes
have written one other novel together, Encounter with Tiber.

Awards
#1 on the Fiction Best Sellers List, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 May 2000

Reviews & Commentary

“This is a tale with a clear moral: When space beckons, only rascals and
cowards will fail to respond. And the way to the stars will be opened not by
daredevils with the right stuff but by clear-minded engineers with a sound
business plan.” – Gerald Jonas, The New York Times

“An avid proponent of getting the average Joe into the stratosphere with the use
of a national lottery, Aldrin writes with authority. This is science fiction that’s as
real as it gets.” – Bill Hoffmann, The New York Post

“It is a heartfelt book, a tale with a message…. The stars await us, Aldrin and
Barnes make clear. It is not too late to return.” – John Clute, Boston Herald

“A forward-looking novel that also depicts modern America with flesh-and-blood

accuracy, The Return is both instructive and fun. Aldrin provides a unique
perspective on the future of space travel while commenting with sly good humor
on the media, courts, social mores, and corporate climate of the one nation best
suited to influence the future. For those who prefer the more direct approach of
nonfiction, Aldrin's 1973 memoir Return to Earth (with Wayne Warga) also distills
the worldview--in space and on Earth--of this American icon.” – Bookmarks
Review

“Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin lands in the spotlight once again thanks to his explosive
near-future thriller, The Return. Teamed with the award-winning John Barnes
(Mother of Storms), Aldrin delivers a plausible, crackling yarn about tragedy in
space, political turmoil on earth, and a perilous rescue attempt by a group of
reunited childhood friends.” – Barnes & Noble

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“Aldrin’s concept for sending citizens into space is a believable one. First, send
them one at a time. Select a journalist, an average joe and an über-celebrity for
your first three flights, and the world will watch. Then, parlay the wave of interest
(and funding) into new rocket technology and start sending more folks up.” –
Josh Chamot, SPACE.COM

“The Return is a tale about the kind of space adventure that could happen today-
-and that will happen tomorrow. As told by Buzz Aldrin, who's been there...and
who's already helped change the world. Old-school moonwalker Buzz Aldrin
teams up again with former Hugo and Nebula Awards nominee John Barnes to
pen another near-future SF tale focused on the fate of the U.S. space program.”
– Paul Hughes, Amazon.com Review

Buzz on The Return

“We need to look at space as a form of adventure travel. It’s an adventure that
needs to be shared.” – Buzz Aldrin (The Return book tour, The Gazette, July 10,
2000)

"It all fits into a pattern so that I can show people exactly how the building of this
leads to the building of this and the building of this and those capabilities lead to
people on Mars by 2020 in a way that gets lots of people in space starting in
2012. But, you've got to make a decision. You've got to take that first step. If you
don't, everything else slides down the road." – Buzz Aldrin The Return book
tour, January Magazine, July 2000)

***
ENCOUNTER WITH TIBER
By Buzz Aldrin and John Barnes
Warner Books, 1996

Synopsis
In the foreword to Encounter With Tiber, Arthur C. Clarke (2001: A Space
Odyssey) laments Aldrin taking on the world of science fiction: "It doesn't seem
fair," Clarke writes. "There was a time when we science fiction writers had Space
all to ourselves and could do just what we liked with it. Not anymore... people like
Buzz have been there, and can tell us exactly where we went wrong. And now, to
add insult to injury, they're writing science fiction themselves. Even worse – it’s
damned good science fiction."

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, a man who has actually explored another world,
teams up with best-selling author John Barnes, "a major SF writer of the 1990s"
(Washington Post), to create a saga as vast as Carl Sagan's Contact, as gripping
as James Michener's Space, and as tense and human as Apollo 13…. It is a
chronicle of two grand quests, two dynasties of heroes.

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Encounter with Tiber begins in the early 21st century with a mysterious radio
beacon from the Alpha Centauri system. The signal may be all that remains of
the Tiberian race and their ancient colonies on the moon and Mars. But, with the
promise of uncovering the vast “encyclopedias” of knowledge the Tiberians left
behind, one on the Moon and one on Mars, a new space race is born. Sparked
by a bitter feud between scientist-astronaut Chris Terence and visionary
entrepreneur Sig Jarlsbourg, the race is on to claim the frontier blazed by the
Apollo pioneers. But the beacon will bring both men together and lead one to his
doom. Solving the Tiberian mystery becomes a legacy, driving Jason Terence
(Chris's son and Jarlsbourg's heir) to found the first city on Mars, and leading
their descendants beyond the confines of the solar system. Encounter with Tiber
also chronicles the dramatic saga of the Tiberians themselves, “ancient
astronauts” whose technology, developed when forced to escape their own
fragile world, would ironically provide the human astronauts with the means to
carry on the exploration of space long after their own race had disappeared.

The heart of the book is the emotional saga of the Terence family – three
generations of space travelers who venture out in search of the Tiberians.
Undaunted by time or tragedy, they remain steadfastly committed to their dreams
of space exploration.

This book touches on the very missions America is now considering … returning
to the Moon, then on to Mars and beyond. It brings together the amazing
knowledge of someone who has “been there” with the stunning imagination of a
prolific science fiction writer to create a frightening warning about the potential
cost of abandoning space exploration. In a time of budget battles and lowered
expectations, authors Aldrin and Barnes present all the realistic strategies
needed to keep the dreams of space alive.

BUZZ ALDRIN holds a place in history as pilot for the first manned lunar lander,
The Eagle. A renowned futurist, he has a doctorate in astronautics from MIT and
is the author of Men from Earth. He lives in California.

JOHN BARNES is a multiple Hugo and Nebula Award nominee whose novels
include the science fiction bestsellers Mother of Storms, A Million Open Doors,
and Orbital Resonance. He lives in Colorado.

Reviews & Commentary

“Delivers the goods, and then some ... in a prose dense with technical details
and augmented with textbook-style diagrams.” – The New York Times Book
Review

“The authors' lively storytelling will engage readers as it conveys the wonder and
promise of space.” – Publishers Weekly

“Although the book is a good read, and, according to Arthur C. Clarke, ‘damn
good science fiction,' one can't escape the feeling that Buzz Aldrin wrote the

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book to put into accessible form his ideas for how humans will return to space.” –
Liane Hansen, NPR, Weekend Edition

“The complex story is rich in technical and scientific detail that can come only
from one so intimately acquainted with real space flight. Highly recommended.” –
Library Journal

“Aldrin brings an unmistakable hands-on realism to the details of space

exploration, and Barnes lends his expertise to the overall structure and
packaging.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Buzz Aldrin is himself a strong supporter of space travel for the general public,
and is currently promoting the real 'Sharespace', a lottery to finance a number of
reusable launch vehicle projects collectively. So he's obviously trying to follow the
maxim of predicting the future by making it happen!” – Space Toursim in
Science Fiction

“Encounter with Tiber is excellent and one of the best SF books of its year.” –
Mark Olsen, New England Science Fiction Association

Buzz on Encounter with Tiber

“I’ve been developing the concept and story of Encounter with Tiber over the last
20 years to share with people the vast scope of space travel between star
systems. Many things are coming out to verify the things I’ve been writing about.
We didn’t just invent fantasy, and go to warp seven in developing this book.” –
Buzz Aldrin (Encounter with Tiber Book Tour, August, 1996)

“If it's maybe going to happen then it's fiction. But I never did like the term
‘science fiction.’ I like ‘technology projection.’ That's what I tried to do in
[Encounter With Tiber] is take technology I know about and project it to going
close to the speed of light. Taking a society. Creating a place where they came
from. A real place. A place that could exist. The solar system that we created at
Alpha Centauri could really exist. It could support life. It probably doesn't exist,
but it hasn't been disproven yet.” – Buzz Aldrin (The Return Book Tour,
Interview, January Magazine, July, 2000)

***

MEN FROM EARTH

By Buzz Aldrin and Malcolm McConnell
Bantam Books, 1989

Synopsis
On July 20, 1969 Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed their lunar module on
the unknown surface of the moon and took mankind’s most historic first steps.

Now, in Men from Earth, Buzz Aldrin tells the astonishing story of America’s race
with the Soviets to the moon—a story rich in adventure, insight, and human

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drama, told in firsthand detail by a man who was at the heart of the action. Buzz
Aldrin played a major role in Project Apollo and knew the key players who
shaped the American space program. In this book he reveals how thousands of
scientists, engineers, politicians, and astronauts struggled to meet President
John F. Kennedy’s nearly impossible 1961 Alan Shepard’s fifteen-minute
suborbital lob was like something out of Buck Rogers—fantastic and
unbelievable—but less than ten years later Aldrin and Armstrong planted the
American flag on the moon and man became a space explorer. In between,
there was tragedy and triumph, but as Aldrin reminds us, America was
responding to a challenge-something we’ve always been good at.

On the Gemini XII mission, Aldrin established a world record “space walk,” and
here he describes floating in space with Earth lurking ominously above him. It is
a view of our planet that only an astronaut can give. It is this intimate perspective
that sets Men from Earth apart from all other accounts of the space program:
Aldrin actually lived the space adventures of Gemini and Apollo.

Aldrin has also uncovered recently declassified documents that show that the
U.S.-Soviet moon race was much closer than we’ve ever before realized. He
reveals the untold drama of missions such as Apollo 8, when the astronauts read
from the Book of Genesis while circling the moon on Christmas Eve 1968. He
takes us behind the headlines to meetings inside NASA, to the cabinet rooms of
the Kennedy and Johnson White Houses, and to Alabama’s Marshall Space
Flight Center, where Werner von Braun and his German rocket team designed
the crucial Saturn boosters. And he looks ahead to America’s next exciting
century on the space frontier.

Finally, Aldrin gives us the most vivid account yet of Apollo 11’s dramatic descent
to the Sea of Tranquility, where some scientists feared the lunar module would
sink into primeval dust. He relives the overpowering emotion of being one of the
first men from Earth to walk on the eerie lunar surface. Through his eyes, we
see Earth from another planet, standing on a rocky terrain untouched for a billion
years, swept by the awe and majesty of infinity.

In Men from Earth, Buzz Aldrin vividly re-creates America’s greatest adventure.
It is a gripping journey trough our most incredible achievement, told by one of the
men who lived it.

Buzz Aldrin holds a doctorate in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology. Since the Apollo 11 moon landing, he has become an
internationally known space exploration futurist.

Malcolm McConnell is an author and journalist based in Washington. A roving

editor for Reader’s Digest, he has covered the space program since the 1960s.
His most recent book is Challenger: A Major Malfunction.

Awards
#3 on Top Ten Hard Cover Nonfiction, National Book List

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Book-of-the-Month Club Alternate

History Book Club Selection

Astronomy Book Club Selection

Reviews & Commentary

“With library shelves already bulging with books on space flight, do we really
need another book…? In the case of ''Men From Earth,'' the answer is yes.…
There is a greater sense of immediacy in the retelling…. Aldrin’s account is as
close as we shall get to knowing what it felt like to set foot, for the first time, on
that mysterious satellite of the planet Earth. – Fred Howard, New York Times

“To coincide with the 20th anniversary this July of the first manned lunar landing,
[this] books provide[s] intimate accounts of how NASA accomplished the national
goal of putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade…. Aldrin, the
second man on the moon, interweaves the story of U.S. and Soviet efforts to
reach the moon with his first-hand experience flying both the Gemini and Apollo
missions during the height of the space race. His recounting of his two space
flights is compelling, especially the account of the nearly aborted Apollo 11 lunar
landing." – Library Journal, Thomas J. Frieling, Bainbridge College

Celebrity Quotes
“BA tells it all in this look back at an adventure like none other in man’s history. In
gripping detail, he takes us along, minute by minute, from blast off to splash
down.” – Walter Cronkite

“It is a rare privilege to read history from the man who made it.” – Tom Clancy

“An articulate tale of the moon venture. Reading the book is the next best thing to
having been there” – Isaac Asimov

***

RETURN TO EARTH
By Colonel Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr. with Wayne Warga
Random House, 1973

Synopsis
RETURN TO EARTH is the first candid “inside” look at the human side of the
space program. It is the story of Buzz Aldrin, who returned to earth from the
historic first landing on the moon to begin a long and troubled odyssey—an
ordeal that involved a secret mental depression and the near dissolution of his
marriage.

It is the revelation, in Aldrin’s own words, of one of the most daring exploits in
history and of what happened afterward: The intense training. The celebrated

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first touchdown on the moon. The instant — and unexpected — fame and
notoriety, and the difficult adjustment of becoming a public personality. The
demanding world-wide public relations tour for NASA for which his rigid training,
from West Point through the astronaut corps, had never prepared him. The near
impossibility of reconciling his public image as a hero to the realities of being a
husband, father and pilot-academician. The adulation from women everywhere.
The serious love affair that nearly tore his home apart. The continuing emotional
and mental pressure which led him to seek psychiatric help and enter a hospital
for treatment. And, finally, the long and deep look inside himself and the road
back to health.

Besides being a moving personal confession, RETURN TO EARTH is the most

fascinating view we have had of the space program: an unusually candid—and
often humorous and occasionally controversial — view of the politicking behind
the scenes; the rivalry among the astronauts, both within the space program and
for the public’s attention; the de-processing after the flights.

RETURN TO EARTH is the unique and honest story of a man who journeyed to
another planet to begin the most highly personal journey a man can undertake:
the attempt to find himself.

Review
“A forward-looking novel that also depicts modern America with flesh-and-blood
accuracy, The Return is both instructive and fun. Aldrin provides a unique
perspective on the future of space travel while commenting with sly good humor
on the media, courts, social mores, and corporate climate of the one nation best
suited to influence the future. For those who prefer the more direct approach of
nonfiction, Aldrin's 1973 memoir Return to Earth (with Wayne Warga) also distills
the worldview – in space and on Earth – of this American icon.” – Bookmarks
Review

Book Adaptation to Film

RETURN TO EARTH was made into an acclaimed ABC/TV Sunday Night Movie
in 1976, produced by Alan King and Rupert Hitzig, and starring Cliff Robertson as
Buzz Aldrin.

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