Forty years ago, Buzz Aldrin became the second human, minutes after
Neil Armstrong, to set foot on a celestial body other than the
Earth. The event remains one of mankind's greatest achievements and
was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in
history. In the years since, millions more have had their
Earth-centric perspective unalterably changed by the iconic
photograph of Aldrin standing on the surface of the moon, the
blackness of space behind him and his fellow explorer and the Eagle
reflected in his visor. Describing the alien world he was walking
upon, he uttered the words "magnificent desolation." And as the
astronauts later sat in the Eagle, waiting to begin their journey
back home, knowing that they were doomed unless every system and
part on board worked flawlessly, it was Aldrin who responded to
Mission Control's clearance to take off with the quip, "Roger.
Understand. We're number one on the runway."
The flight of Apollo 11 made Aldrin one of the most famous persons
on our planet, yet few people know the rest of this true American
hero's story. In "Magnificent Desolation," Aldrin not only gives us
a harrowing first-person account of the lunar landing that came
within seconds of failure and the ultimate insider's view of life
as one of the superstars of America's space program, he also opens
up with remarkable candor about his more personal trials-and
eventual triumphs-back on Earth. From the glory of being part of
the mission that fulfilled President Kennedy's challenge to reach
the moon before the decade was out, Aldrin returned home to an Air
Force career stripped of purpose or direction, other than as a
public relations tool that NASA put to relentless use in a
seemingly nonstop world tour. The twin demons of depression and
alcoholism emerged-the first of which Aldrin confronted early and
publicly, and the second of which he met with denial until it
nearly killed him. He burned through two marriages, his Air Force
career came to an inglorious end, and he found himself selling cars
for a living when he wasn't drunkenly wrecking them. Redemption
came when he finally embraced sobriety, gained the love of a woman,
Lois, who would become the great joy of his life, and dedicated
himself to being a tireless advocate for the future of space
exploration-not only as a scientific endeavor but also as a
thriving commercial enterprise.
These days Buzz Aldrin is enjoying life with an enthusiasm that
reminds us how far it is possible for a person to travel, literally
and figuratively. As an adventure story, a searing memoir of
self-destruction and self-renewal, and as a visionary rallying cry
to once again set our course for Mars and beyond, "Magnificent
Desolation" is the thoroughly human story of a genuine hero.
"From the Hardcover edition."
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