This is a rare bird. First of all, it covers not just the Apollo 11 - 17 missions to the moon, as implied by the subtitle, but really provides a reasonably in-depth view into both the US and Russian space programs from their inception up to almost the present.

The focus is a detailed and highly interesting foray into each one of the seven moonshots, but between each, we get to see the surrounding landscape that made up the space race.

Because there's a few different authors, some of the information is duplicated (Buzz Aldrin's issues after Apollo 11, Edgar Mitchell's PSI experiments in space).

But the true success of this book is showing what a great nation, spurred on by a fallen leader (JFK's rousing "we will land a man on the moon by the end of the decade" speech is included) can do. It brings both the majesty and triumph of space exploration into focus, and also points to the pettiness and infighting as well as the politics and stupidity of those who simply don't understand that Apollo wasn't just about bringing back some moon rocks.

Overall, just a well written summary of NASA at its finest.

It also leaves me sad and a little mind-boggled that we are now 41 years past the last man on the moon...and we haven't been able to really progress much in the area of setting foot either back on our closest neighbour, or on Mars. And that's a shame. ( )

The follow-up to In the Shadow of the Moon. Instead of a co-authored book by Francis French and Colin Burgess, this one is more of an anthology with several writers. It is a step down in quality from Shadow. Some chapters were fairly pedestrian but others did manage to unearth some obscure factoids. Footprints covers Apollo 12 through Apollo 17 and touches on the Skylab flights which were boosted into orbit with the leftover Apollo equipment. ( )