Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story

Michael Collins tells his story in a very straightforward way with some humour. It was a really enjoyable read for me (a person old enough to remember the moon landing) but told in a way that would make it a good book to read aloud as a family. Like Chris Hadfield, Collins comes across as a very warm person and one with a good grasp of what interests his readers.

This is nominally aimed at a young adult audience, but reads like he's giving a talk to a general audience, without a trace of condescension or oversimplification. The pacing and conversational vocabulary is what make this a good read-aloud book. And despite its brevity, Flying To The Moon covers everything that you want to know about Collins's life as a pilot and astronaut.

The author, an astronaut, discusses his early career, his training for space flight, his trips into space including the first lunar landing, and the possibilities for life and flight in space in the future.
In this entrancing account, space traveler Michael Collins recalls his early days as an Air Force test pilot, his astronaut training at NASA, and his unparalleled experiences in orbit, including the Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar landing. The final chapter to his autobiography, revised and updated for this edition of "Flying to the Moon," is an exciting and convincing argument in favor of mankind's continued exploration of our universe.
"Several astronauts have written about their experiences, but none so well as Michael show more Collins...This is just the book to give the child whose parents made Yeager and The Right Stuff best sellers."-The Washington Post Book World show less

Fairly standard and easily readable memoir by Michael Collins, Apollo 11 command module pilot. I was hoping for more, but think now that this is squarely aimed at the YA crowd. A couple of interesting anecdotes, though, and a fun, quick read if you're an Apollo moon nut.

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