And the Moon came nearer... To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, TASCHEN has paired Norman Mailer's seminal text with spectacular photography from the archives of NASA and LIFE magazine and many other sources to create a unique tribute to the defining scientific mission of our era. It has been called the single most historic event of the 20th century: On July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins met John F. Kennedy's call for a manned Moon landing by the end of the 1960s. A decade of tests and training, a staff of 400,000 engineers and scientists, and a $24 billion budget climaxed with the launch of the most powerful rocket ever built, and an unprecedented event watched by millions the world over. And nobody captured the men, the mood, and the machinery like Norman Mailer.One of the greatest writers of his generation, Mailer was hired by LIFE to cover the Moon shot. His three-part feature, the longest nonfiction piece LIFE had published, was later developed into his book Of A Fire On The Moon. This seminal work of cultural analysis and philosophy is reproduced here for the first time ever. Whether exploring the science and philosophical implications of space travel, or the psychology of the men involved from rocket engineer Wernher von Braun, through the NASA support staff, to the three astronauts Mailer's provocative and trenchant insights remain unsurpassed in defining this epochal event.Illustrating Mailer's gripping text are hundreds of the greatest photographs and film stills from the NASA vaults, magazine archives, and private collections. Many previously unpublished, these images trace the development of the agency and its mission, from early experimentation to that breathtaking instant when Man first stepped on the Moon s surface, and the world's jubilant reaction. An original introduction by Colum McCann and captions by Apollo 11 experts explain the history and science behind the images, citing the mission log, post-flight interviews with the astronauts, and publications of the day.* Limited Edition of 1957 copies, No. 1 1957. * Each copy includes a Plexiglas-framed, numbered, ready-to-hang, archival-quality photographic print, produced using the revolutionary new Skia printing technique, and signed by Buzz Aldrin. This shot of Buzz Aldrin standing on the Moon, with fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong reflected in his helmet's visor, is the definitive image of the Apollo 11 mission, and one of the most famous and iconic photos ever taken.* XL format, includes 4 foldouts. Presented in a custom box with a plexiglass convex window. * Original photographic materials restored to the highest standards. * Print dimensions: 32.5 x 40 cm (12.8 x 15.7 in.) * Also available in Lunar Rock Edition, limited to 12 copies, No. 1958 1969, each with a specimen of extremely rare Moon meteorite.
