This riveting narrative told from the astronauts' points of view offers a unique approach to the story behind Apollo 11's successful - though nearly disastrous - 1969 moon landing. Readers are brought along on the ride of a lifetime, as they relive every step of the mission, including the nail-biting (and relatively unknown) crucial moments when it came close to failure. And, setting this book apart, each section is linked to the innovations and discoveries from the past four centuries that made each step possible - from Copernicus to the Nazis, the sextant to Velcro.