MoonFire: The Epic Journey of Apollo 11

Norman Mailer, MoonFire: The Epic Journey of Apollo 11

"And the Moon came nearer..."

A unique tribute to the defining scientific mission of our time

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing, TASCHEN has paired
Norman Mailer’s seminal text with spectacular photography—from the archives of NASA, LIFE
magazine, and many other sources—to create a unique tribute to the defining scientific mission of our
time.

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, a budget of $24
billion, and the most powerful rocket ever launched all combined in an unprecedented event watched
by millions the world over. And no one captured the men, the mood, and the machinery like Norman
Mailer.

One of the greatest writers of the 20th Century, Norman Mailer was hired by LIFE in 1969 to cover the
Moon shot. His three-part feature was the longest nonfiction piece LIFE had published. He enhanced
and extended his reportage with deeper reflection in the brilliantly crafted book, Of a Fire on the Moon,
excerpted here for the first time. Equally adept at examining the science of space travel and the
psychology of the men involved—from Saturn V rocket engineer Wernher von Braun, to the crucial
NASA support staff, to the three astronauts—Mailer provides provocative and trenchant insights into
this epoch-making event.

Illustrating this volume are hundreds of the best photographs and maps from the NASA vaults,
magazine archives, and private collections. Many of them previously unpublished, these images
document the development of the agency and the mission, life inside the command module and on the
Moon’s surface, and the world’s jubilant reaction to the landing. This edition includes an original
introduction by Colum McCann and captions by leading Apollo 11 experts, explaining the history and
science behind the images, citing the mission log and publications of the day, and post-flight astronaut
interviews.

Limited to 1969 copies in two editions
Each copy includes a Plexiglas-framed, ready-to-hang, archival-quality, numbered photographic print,
produced using the revolutionary new Skia printing technique, and signed by Buzz Aldrin. This shot of
Aldrin walking on the Moon is the definitive image of the Apollo 11 mission, and one of the most
iconic photos ever taken.
Hardcover in box with print
XXL format: 36.5 x 44 cm (14.4 x 17.3 in.); with framed print: 32.5 x 40 cm (12.8 x 15.7 in.)
348 pages, including 4 foldouts
Utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology, no expense has been spared to restore the original
photographic materials to the highest possible standards
English language edition
No. 1–1957
Limited to 1957 numbered copies
Packaged in a custom-molded white resin box with a convex Plexiglas window

Plexiglas-framed, ready-to-hang, archival-quality, numbered photographic print, signed by Buzz Aldrin

No. 1958–1969 LUNAR ROCK EDITION
Marc Newson designed this special edition of only 12 copies
Each copy comes with a unique specimen of lunar rock, ranging in weight from a slice of the moon at
0.4 grams to 30.34 grams, one of the largest lunar meteorites ever found on Earth
Specifications and prices available on request

About the author:
Norman Mailer was one of the 20th century's greatest and most influential writers, as well as one of
America's most renowned and controversial literary figures. The best-selling author of a dozen novels
and 20 works of nonfiction, he also wrote stage plays, screenplays, television miniseries, hundreds of
essays, two books of poetry, and a collection of short stories. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he
lived in Brooklyn, New York and Provincetown, Massachusetts.

About the contributors:
Buzz Aldrin made history as one of the first men to walk on the Moon. A graduate of West Point, he
earned his Sc.D. in Astronautics from MIT before joining NASA, and the Gemini XII and Apollo 11
missions. He is the founder of the ShareSpace Foundation and author of several books.

Colum McCann is the author of seven books, including Let the Great World Spin. He has written for
The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, GQ, The Times (London), The Irish Times, and La
República.