Having followed spaceflight activities since 1968, David Shayler has a broad range of experience covering all aspects of human spaceflight history. In October 1982, he created Astro Info Service to focus on his space writing and research, with lectures and educational outreach activities. Early publications included the periodicals 'Orbiter' on the shuttle and 'Zenit' on Soviet activities, and a growing range of biographies on the world's space explorers. In 1990 David co-created the Midland Spaceflight Society and acted as its chairman. His first book was published in 1987 and since then he has authored over 20 titles, including 13 titles in the Praxis Space Library between 2000 and 2009. He has contributed to titles on human spaceflight, including the three editions of "Who's Who in Space" (MacMillan, 1998). Personal research has been conducted at NASA JSC in Houston, and at KSC in Florida, as well as at Rice and Clear Lake Universities and NARA archives in Texas. His research continues daily and new titles are under various stages of production, some of which are available via the AIS website.
David Harland studied astronomy to degree level, and pursued a career lecturing in computer science, and academic and industrial research. In 1995, David "retired" to resume his interest in space and started to write. He has over two dozen books published to date, a majority of them with Springer/Praxis and several others under contract. These days he considers himself to be an amateur hermit and a professional space historian.

This book offers a lively and definitive account of the Apollo 11 mission. It is based on the in-flight transcripts and post-flight debriefing, including conversations among the crew in the spacecraft that were not transmitted. It presents a color section that features the high-resolution scans recently produced by NASA from the original Hasselblad film. The introductory chapters review the motivation to land on the Moon by the end of the 1960s, the development of the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo spacecraft as the means of doing so, the selection of potential landing sites, the precursor missions, and the backgrounds of the three men who were to fly Apollo 11. In contrast to most books about Apollo, which concentrate on how NASA geared up for the program, 75% of this book is devoted to Apollo 11. This comprehensive account dispels the myth that NASA faked the moon landings. The author's expertise and considerable experience of writing about the Moon landings shines through and seamlessly unites the myriad details of the mission.

Part I. The decision to go the Moon.- The Apollo spacecraft.- CSM.- LM.- The Saturn V launch vehicle.- Ground support.- Mission Control.- MSFN.- Precursor missions.- Gemini.- Apollo 8.- Apollo 9.- Apollo 10.- Selecting a landing site.- Apollo operational constraints.- Lunar Orbiter reconnaissance.- Surveyor surface investigation.- The mascon issue.- Site shortlist.- Part II. The men of Apollo 11.- The crew rotation system.- Neil Armstrong.- Buzz Aldrin.- Michael Collins.- Training.- Simulators.- Geology training.- Surface experiments.- Preparations.- Stacking.- The crawler.- Suiting up.- Witnesses.- The ticking clock.- Setting off.- Ascent.- Activities in parking orbit.- Translunar injection.- Through the radiation belts.- Coasting.- TD and E.- Coasting in passive thermal roll.- Navigational checks.- Crossing the neutral point.- Arrival.- Behind the Moon.- Lunar orbit insertion.- Circularisation.- Viewing the landing site.- Preparations.- Separation.- Descent.- Descent orbit insertion.- Initiation of powered descent.- Touchdown.- Tranquillity Base.- Post-landing activities.- EVA preparations.- On the ladder.- 'One small step'.- The flag ceremony.- Collecting rocks.- Ingress, sleep and preparations to leave.- Coming home.- Liftoff and rendezvous.- TEI.- In-flight press conference.- Entry, splashdown, recovery, BIG suits and quarantine trailer.- Home.- Part III. The lunar samples.- Follow-on missions.- The next two.- The lunar field geologists.- Budget cuts and lost opportunities.- Life after Apollo 11.- Reflections.