Magnificent Desolation
The Long Journey Home from the Moon
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Narrated by:
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Patrick Egan
About this listen
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.
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This is the story of a unique American hero who came of age as an astronaut during the few dramatic years when man reached the moon. Cernan's career spanned the entire Apollo program, from the tragic fire that killed three of his comrades on Apollo 1, through the moment when he left man's last footprint on the moon as commander of Apollo 17.
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Yet Another Perspective
- By Shellbin on 12-28-12
By: Eugene Cernan
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Moon Shot
- The Inside Story of Man's Greatest Adventure
- By: Dan Parry
- Narrated by: John Chancer
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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‘It didn’t matter that they were now three miles beyond their target site, that communications were dropping out and that they were running low on fuel. All that mattered to Neil as he searched for a safe spot to land was that boulders littered the surface below. “Thirty seconds,” called mission control. In truth, the flight controllers were now no more than spectators, just like everybody else. No more needed to be said. It was down to Armstrong
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Wow.
- By Shellbin on 02-04-12
By: Dan Parry
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Chasing Space
- An Astronaut's Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances
- By: Leland Melvin
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Leland Melvin is the only person in human history to catch a pass in the National Football League and in space. Though his path from the gridiron to the heavens was riddled with setbacks and injury, Leland persevered to reach the stars. While training with NASA, Melvin suffered a severe injury that left him deaf. Leland was relegated to earthbound assignments but chose to remain and support his astronaut family. His loyalty paid off. Recovering partial hearing, he earned his eligibility for space travel.
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A Must Listen to for any Space Enthusiast!
- By B.A. Lopez on 01-11-20
By: Leland Melvin
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The Mercury 13
- The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight
- By: Martha Ackmann
- Narrated by: Julie Eickhoff
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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For fans of The Astronaut Wives Club, The Mercury 13 reveals the little-known true story of the remarkable women who trained for NASA space flight. In 1961, just as NASA launched its first man into space, a group of women underwent secret testing in the hopes of becoming America’s first female astronauts. They passed the same battery of tests at the legendary Lovelace Foundation as did the Mercury 7 astronauts, but they were summarily dismissed by the boys’ club at NASA and on Capitol Hill.
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Amazing story
- By Chilli Dog on 01-26-15
By: Martha Ackmann
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Riding Rockets
- The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut
- By: Mike Mullane
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1978, the first group of space shuttle astronauts was introduced to the world - 29 men and six women who would carry NASA through the most tumultuous years of the space shuttle program. Among them was USAF Colonel Mike Mullane, who, in his memoir Riding Rockets, strips the heroic veneer from the astronaut corps and paints them as they are - human.
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Not for the young...
- By Collecting Warehouse on 11-14-18
By: Mike Mullane
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Neil Armstrong
- A Life of Flight
- By: Jay Barbree
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Much has been written about Neil Armstrong, America's modern hero and history's most famous space traveler. Yet, shy of fame and never one to steal the spotlight, Armstrong was always reluctant to discuss his personal side of events. Here for the first time is the definitive story of Neil's life of flight he shared for five decades with a trusted friend - Jay Barbree.
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A Profound Personal Impact
- By Michael on 08-21-14
By: Jay Barbree
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Sully
- My Search for What Really Matters
- By: Chesley B. Sullenberger, Jeffrey Zaslow
- Narrated by: Michael McConnohie, Chesley B. Sullenberger
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed a remarkable emergency landing when Captain "Sully" Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. His story is now a major motion picture from director/producer Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks, Laura Linney, and Aaron Eckhart.
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Really Dull.
- By Nick on 09-14-16
By: Chesley B. Sullenberger, and others
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The Right Stuff
- By: Tom Wolfe
- Narrated by: Dennis Quaid
- Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Millions of words have poured forth about man's trip to the moon, but until now few people have had a sense of the most engrossing side of the adventure: namely, what went on in the minds of the astronauts themselves - in space, on the moon, and even during certain odysseys on earth. It is this, the inner life of the astronauts, that Tom Wolfe describes with his almost uncanny empathetic powers that made The Right Stuff a classic.
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Righteous Book, Righteous Narrator, Righteous MEN!
- By Gillian on 02-08-18
By: Tom Wolfe
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Inside Marine One
- Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine, and the World's Most Amazing Helicopter
- By: Lee Kelley, Ray L'Heureux
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Inside Marine One is Colonel L'Heureux's inspiring story of a young man who dreamed of flying, trained, studied, and worked hard to become the pilot who ended up serving four US Presidents - George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. It's also a personal guided tour inside the world's most famous helicopter by a man who knows that flying machine better than any other. Inside Marine One is a great American success story of a young boy who dreamed big, worked hard, and finally flew the President of the United States as his number one passenger.
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A great book
- By John A. on 01-05-23
By: Lee Kelley, and others
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The Flight of the Century: Charles Lindbergh and the Rise of American Aviation
- Oxford University Press: Pivotal Moments in US History
- By: Thomas Kessner
- Narrated by: Bob McGraw
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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In late May 1927 an inexperienced and unassuming 25-year-old Air Mail pilot from rural Minnesota stunned the world by making the first non-stop transatlantic flight. A spectacular feat of individual daring and collective technological accomplishment, Charles Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris ushered in America's age of commercial aviation.
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Flawed but Worthwhile
- By Ray Daniels on 11-11-22
By: Thomas Kessner
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Come Up and Get Me
- An Autobiography of Colonel Joe Kittinger
- By: Joe Kittinger, Craig Ryan
- Narrated by: Christian Rummel
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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A few years after his release from a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp, in 1973, Colonel Joseph Kittinger retired from the Air Force. Restless and unchallenged, he turned to ballooning, a lifelong passion as well as a constant diversion for his imagination during his imprisonment. His primary goal was a solitary circumnavigation of the globe, and in its pursuit he set several ballooning distance records, including the first solo crossing of the Atlantic in 1984. But the aeronautical feats that first made him an American hero had occurred a quarter of a century earlier....
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A rewarding read
- By Andrew Braddick on 03-25-13
By: Joe Kittinger, and others
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A Brotherhood of Spies
- The U-2 and the CIA's Secret War
- By: Monte Reel
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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On May 1, 1960, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union just weeks before a peace summit between the two nations. The CIA concocted a cover story for President Eisenhower to deliver, assuring him that no one could have survived a fall from that altitude. But against all odds, pilot Francis Gary Powers emerged from the wreckage and was seized by the KGB. Award-winning journalist Monte Reel reveals how the U-2 spy program, principally devised by four men working in secret, upended the Cold War and carved a new mission for the CIA.
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Lessons Learned
- By Jim on 12-13-18
By: Monte Reel
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Final Countdown: NASA and the End of the Space Shuttle Program
- By: Pat Duggins
- Narrated by: Pat Duggins
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Journalist Pat Duggins, National Public Radio's resident "space expert", chronicles the planning stages of the Space Shuttle program in the early 1970s, the thrill of the first flight in 1981, construction of the International Space Station in the 1990s, and the decision in the early 2000s to shut the program down.
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End of the Shuttle
- By Jean on 09-25-14
By: Pat Duggins
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Ready for Launch
- An Astronaut's Lessons for Success on Earth
- By: Scott Kelly
- Narrated by: Scott Kelly
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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In this insightful and funny book, Scott Kelly shares how a distracted student with poor grades became a record-breaking astronaut and commander of the International Space Station. People think that astronauts are always perfect. "Failure's not an option", right? But as Scott shares in his deeply intimate book, he believes that it's our mistakes and challenges that have the potential to lead to greatness.
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amazing
- By Amazon Customer on 06-05-22
By: Scott Kelly
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Millions of words have poured forth about man's trip to the moon, but until now few people have had a sense of the most engrossing side of the adventure: namely, what went on in the minds of the astronauts themselves - in space, on the moon, and even during certain odysseys on earth. It is this, the inner life of the astronauts, that Tom Wolfe describes with his almost uncanny empathetic powers that made The Right Stuff a classic.
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What listeners say about Magnificent Desolation
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- P. Scott
- 08-09-19
Magnificent Disappointment
I’ve been enjoying reading and listening to many books written by astronauts. I looked forward to Dr Aldrin’s book with great anticipation.
Except for the first chapters on the historic moon landing and immediate aftermath, I saw no real point to the story. I know it was his life story, but I looked for more and found little.
He has a great passion for space, and space exploration, but an entire book is overkill for that point alone.
The performance added to my disappointment. It often came off as if he was whining and complaining. Not enjoyable to listen to.
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Overall
- Edward C. Charbonnet
- 11-01-09
Magnificent even though long
The book is long and once I had reached the late 1970's portion of this book I wondered what the rest of the book would be about. But I am VERY glad I read on into the 80's, 90's and 2000's. Buzz is a complex man and has inspired people of multiple generations with his active and long life and his courage. Now he can add one more person he has inspired.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 02-08-18
Raw truth
Buzz told his honest story of his ups and downs , his failures & historic accomplishments ! I loved it ! To infinity & beyond !
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Roy
- 07-28-09
An AA Memoir
Four decades ago we "older guys" saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon. It was one of the most exciting days of our lives and will never be fogotten. The first 20% of Magnificent Desolation tells that story and what a story it is. The middle of the book tells of Aldrin's battle with depression and alcohol. The last pages relate his ideas about the future of NASA and space flight.
This book is not worthy of a man with a PhD from MIT and the military rank he attained. There were no new insights in the voyage to the moon. The story about his depression and alcohol addiction came off as self serving and the sections on how NASA might enhance the space program read like sour grapes. The ability and thoughtfulness of this great American should have shown much brighter. He deserves a better legacy.
Otherwise,for readers who just want to "get to know" this great man, his candor and honesty alone will reward them. It isn't a bad book, it just could have been far more instructive and insightful.
The reading is very good.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Jordan
- 03-28-19
Not the book I expected, and delighted for it
It starts with the juicy bits about the moon, and goes off into a rollercoaster into Buzz's life after the moon, and the many struggles and triumphs along the way. I found this to have a very personal touch that I could deeply relate to and Buzz has during the course of this book become my new favourite astronaut.
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- Alex Dunn
- 07-10-24
Ramblings of an old man
3/4 of the book were spent on extraneous and uninteresting filler. Parts were great but most wasn’t
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- Sage Man
- 01-13-18
An inspirational story of a great national hero
An amazing true story of one of our most famous astronauts overcoming depression and alcoholism to becoming our best advocate for future manned space exploration and tourism. It’s a good mix of his deeply personal story and a history of the Apollo program including a play by play of the Apollo 11 moon landing in the first few chapters. The narrator has a similar sound and quality to Buzz’s voice that make listening feel authentic.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Alan Burchill
- 08-31-09
Great Read
Satisfingly technical to keep a geek like me happy... but with a lot of reflection of his entire life so far as well.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Matthew Beyer
- 11-29-21
Alternately touching and throwaway
The most worthwhile parts of this biography are front loaded...
- The fascinating account of Apollo 11, which is just genuinely amazing and such an achievement it really needs no deep insight or analysis to prop it up
- The painful account of Buzz's post-Apollo years of alcoholism and depression. It's an honest portrayal of a real human problem, and made all the more poignant set against the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" attitude of that era. How many of Buzz's family members need to kill themselves before it's taken seriously?
The latter half of the book is sort of boring unnecessary stuff... on the one hand, it's boring because it's honest (a stretch of his life filled with him dating, giving speeches, and advocating a different approach to space than NASA would pursue). There's still some interesting stuff -- his proposal for a Mars cycler, his (very justified) assault of Bart Sibrel, and the way that his depression is framed as a constant struggle -- but it's not always enough to justify the amount of the book documenting that period of his life.
Generally, there's some overriding annoying bits, like the way his politics occasionally creep into the book, and the fact that the writing seems occasionally amateurish in structure and style. The post-book interview is also a little awkward and makes it more clear how Buzz comes off without the benefit of a writer cleaning up his ideas.
Basically, I think this would have been a better read if it was an end-to-end auto/biography rather than just covering the post Apollo years. To me, having some more concrete background in his youth would give a bigger picture into his perspective and world, and would have preferred that to so much focus on his latter years. Buzz is an odd media fixture, and there's a temptation to see him as a bit of a proto-reality-star has-been. But he really is a fascinating person, and I think overall this book frames it in a compelling way, even if it's got some unnecessary stuff.
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- Greg C
- 11-18-21
A more personal (and flawed) astronaut story
Buzz Aldrin is a world hero, brilliant engineer, mental health survivor...and exposes his struggles and flaws in ways few others dare.
Buzz's later memoir is a much more personal story than Collins' Carrying the Fire. I found it enjoyable and engaging to learn about Buzz's perspectives on the landing but moreso the decades after.
The third act bends toward self-promotion (not unexpected) but the overflowing adoration of Lois quickly wears thin even not knowing that the marriage crumbled during the tour for this book.
It does serve as a reminder that even our heroes are human after all.
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