Doesn't every product appeal to a different market? - Rated 
This book appealed to me straight away, dealing with a subject that I have long been fascinated in- Man landing on the moon- but that I have not yet had the inclination to wonder about any further than the fact that this amazing event happened 5 years before I was born (my wife would debate this latter point, but anyway. . .)
Therefore I would have to say that, with the added concept of interviewing the last remaining humans to have walked upon another celestial body (literally a dying breed), I enjoyed this book like no other I have read in a long time.
The writers style is relaxed, he injects just enough technical detail into his writing to make you want to find out more and I think it was great to have his own experiences linked to the unfolding story of Mankinds greatest achievement.
Overall, a triumph. The wife even read it after me. . .
Houston, we have a problem. - Rated 
Despite a stellar launch describing the agonising suspense of the first moon landing, Moondust soon plummets disappointingly back to earth. Awkwardly caught between biography and travelogue and between accurate description and personal reflection, Andrew Smith's first book suffers from the same lack of direction that has evidently plagued the space programme in recent decades.
Putting aside the occasionally sloppy writing style, tricky phrasings and an irritating "I would later discover..." narrative device, Moondust has the feel of a distended "Where are they now?" magazine article, which may be an inevitable consequence of Smith's journalistic background. Sadly, many of the interesting observations, reflections and revelations in this account are second-hand - borrowed honestly from third-party sources, the masses of existing literature on this well-trodden subject, and rarely from the nine surviving moonwalkers themselves.
Nevertheless, the informality of this book may appeal to those who cannot stomach a more factual analysis of the Apollo programme - Smith's hazy recollection of his childhood and an ongoing commentary on the political situation of America in the late 1960's certainly sets the scene for mankind's `giant leap' into the unknown. As this is forced to prop up an increasingly skimpy collection of anecdotes from each astronaut however - not to mention a disappointing no-show from the elusive Neil Armstrong - one cannot help wondering whether other accounts of the moon landings (many of which Smith teasingly references) would provide a more fulfilling exposition of this fascinating subject.
Not really about the moon missions! - Rated 
As a fan of early manned space travel, I was very interested when I first saw this book but, after looking through it quickly, decided not to buy it. However, I was then given it as a gift and my original opinion has been reinforced now that I have read it fully.
This book is not so much about the moon missions as it is about the author's childhood memories of the space race, his thoughts about the subject and his quest to track down all the surviving moonwalkers. If that is what you are interested in, you will probably enjoy this book. It does have some good parts and is funny at times.
If you want to find out more about the Apollo project, space travel or the astronauts themselves, this is not the book for you. I would recommend Chaikin's 'A Man on the Moon', which is the definitive work on this subject.
Fantastic read !!! - Rated 
This book takes a more personal view of the Apollo program than the more factual Moon Shot, by looking at it from the perspective of the astronauts. There are some interesting facts and the authors observations evoke the era of the late 60's. But what resonated for me, was that it really put into context the whole endeavour and tried to understand what it must be like to be one of only a dozen men in the entire creation to have walked on another word.
Experiences as varied as human life on earth - Rated 
Andrew Smith tracks down nine surviving moonwalkers, to learn of their experiences in the Apollo Moon Programme. He reveals the characters and personal politics involved, in prose not unlike a travel journal, which works well enough. The astronauts' responses to their unique journey are as varied as their personalities themselves -- just like real, human life back here on earth.
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