The Moonlandings: An Eyewitness Account (Hardcover)

‘… he recalls with great nostalgia the excitement and intrigue of reporting on the Apollo programme at the height of the cold war. His candid and crystal-clear account does an excellent job of cutting through the spin.’ Hazel Muir, New Scientist

'This is not a book about the science, technology and engineering, that took man to the Moon. It is written from a journalists perspective and is a social and in the broadest sense a political history. It describes the entire story of the Apollo programme from the human perspective, in close-up from one man's view. Reg Turnill gives one of the best personal histories of Apollo that I have come across. … a piece of living history told by someone who was close to these events as they happened, and who recalls them with clarity and enthusiasm. … Good value; a good read.' Richard Taylor, Spaceflight

‘From his enviable vantage point as one of the BBC correspondents closest to the action was one of the nearest to an eyewitness that was possible, and he has produced a wonderful account of the exploration of space by rocket-born men, women and machines.’ Richard Knox, Gnonom

‘It is a fascinating account, by turns personal, thorough, perceptive and recommended.’ Roger O’Brien, Journal of the British Astronomical Association

'Turnill's view of this period is a valuable one that deserves wide attention. This is a fine account of the working life of a high-profile journalist. Certainly today's space journalists will never write memoirs to compete with Turnill's epic tale.' Times Higher Education Supplement

‘Who better to relate how the world saw Apollo than veteran BBC space reporter Reginald Turnill? His memoir combines first-hand detail with a broader sense of how it played globally.’ Astronomy Now

‘This unique eyewitness account of one of the most thrilling adventures of the twentieth century is written in a lucid style, packed with action and drama, and is a fascinating read for all those interested in the story of the race to the Moon.’ Orion

'When I saw the subtitle of this book I was sceptical. … how could someone who hasn't been there write an 'eyewitness' account of landing on the moon? Turns out, Reginald Turnhill offers a fascinatingly unique perspective on the Apollo era - that of a journalist in the press pool at Cape Canaveral when the moon rockets lifted off.' Michael Belfiore, Woodstock, New York

' … any serious fan of lunar literature should buy this book for their collection. Turnill is … the last of a generation of space reporters who can truly say of the lunar landing effort (on the ground, at least) that 'I was there. I saw it happen.' What a fabulous job it must have been.' BBC Sky at Night

The Soviet-American race to land the first man on the moon was a technical challenge unlike any other in recent human history. Reginald Turnill, the BBC's Aerospace Correspondent, covered the entire story first-hand, and his reports were heard and seen by millions around the world. With unparalleled access to the politicians, scientists and technicians involved in the race to the moon, Turnill got to know all the early astronauts - Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin - as they pioneered the techniques that made the moon landings possible. He became a friend of Dr Wernher von Braun, the German rocket pioneer and mastermind behind it all. This eyewitness account of one of the most thrilling adventures of the twentieth Century is written in a lucid style, packed with action and drama, and is a fascinating read for all those interested in the story of the race to the moon.