The Moon - A History for the Future - Oliver Morton

Written by Oliver Morton
Read by Neil Dickson
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
Release date: 06-04-19

An intimate portrait of the Earth’s closest neighbor - the Moon - that explores the history and future of humankind’s relationship with it

Every generation has looked towards the heavens and wondered at the beauty of the Moon. Fifty years ago, a few Americans became the first to do the reverse - and Earth-bound audiences shared their view of their own planet hanging in the sky instead.

In this short but wide-ranging book, Oliver Morton explores the history and future of humankind’s relationship with the Moon from the earliest astronomers such as van Eyck and Galileo through the first space flights and anticipating next phase of our interaction with the Moon, as a portal and stepping stone to further space exploration. The Moon’s gentle light has spoken of love and loneliness; its battered surface of death and the cosmic. For some, it is a future on which humankind has turned its back. For others, an adventure yet to begin.

Advanced technologies, new ambitions, and old dreams mean that men, women, and robots now seem certain to return to the Moon. What will they learn there about the universe, the Earth - and themselves? And, this time, will they stay?

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 Oliver Morton and The Economist (P)2019 Hachette Audio
Critic Reviews

“Our Moon, a spherical bit of unchanging inanimate rock, nonetheless captivates us with its romance and its beauty. Its tantalizing almost deceptive proximity makes it also a destination, both a past one and a promising one for the future. In this poetically written and informative book, Oliver Morton takes us through all aspects of this very familiar but very foreign territory, which has inspired stories and study for decades. What a remarkable achievement and one well worth exploring.” (Lisa Randall, Frank B. Baird Professor of Science, Harvard University)

“An engaging, multifaceted view of the moon…an account that is not only rich in facts, but leavened with fiction, for the author seems to have read widely in the literature of science fiction to show the interest, ideas, and fantasies people have had about our nearest companion in the solar system…. Accessible, informative, and entertaining-first-rate popular science reporting.” (Kirkus, starred review)

“Beautifully written: evocative, witty, and truly informative. I thought I knew a lot about the Moon but I nonetheless learned all sorts of fascinating new things, and thoroughly enjoyed myself doing so. Combining science and science fiction is not easy and Oliver Morton manages it seamlessly and brilliantly! Superb.” (Adam Roberts, author of The Palgrave History of Science Fiction and The Thing Itself)