Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Near Side of the Moon, By Charles Byrne
In 1967, Lunar Orbiter Mission 4 sent back to Earth a superb series of photographs of the surface of the Moon, despite severe degradation caused by scanning artifacts and the reconstruction processes involved in transmission from lunar orbit.
Using 21st century techniques, Charles Byrne, previously System Engineer of the Apollo Program for Lunar Orbiter Photography, has removed the artifacts and imperfections to produce the most comprehensive and beautifully detailed set of images of the lunar surface.
The book has been organized to make it easy for astronomers to use, enabling ground-based images and views to be compared with the Orbiter photographs. The photographs are striking for their consistent Sun angles (for uniform appearance). All features have been identified with their current IAU-approved names, and each photograph has been located in terms of latitude and longitude. To help practical astronomers, all the photographs are systematically related to an Earth-based view.
A CD is included with the book, providing the enhanced and cleaned photographs for screen viewing, lectures, etc.
The Far Side of the Moon: A Photographic Guide, By Charles Byrne
The far side of the Moon, also called the ‘dark side of the Moon’ was unknown to humanity until the Luna and Lunar Orbiter pictures were returned to Earth. Even since then, its nature has puzzled researchers. Now we know that a giant impact struck the near side with such force that it created the ‘near side megabasin’, opening the way for floods of mare and sending vast amounts of ejecta to the far side. “The Far Side of the Moon” explains this event and also documents the appearance of the features of the far side with beautiful pictures from Lunar Orbiter. As in the previous volume, “The Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Near Side of the Moon”, the author has taken the original images and cleaned them of system artefacts using modern digital image processing. The best photographic coverage of the far side of the Moon has been the 150 photos taken by the Lunar Orbiter series. The other sources are pictures taken by the Apollo Command Module, which were limited to the equatorial regions, and the Clementine mission, which took pictures at a high sun angle that washed out the topography of the features. Until now, the far side Lunar Orbiter photos have only been available with strong reconstruction lines, but appear here for the first time as complete photographs, unmarred by imaging and processing artefacts. Also, this is the first book to explain in detail how the far side was deeply covered by ejecta from the Near Side Megabasin and modified by later impacts. A CD-R accompanies the book, and contains all the enhanced and cleaned photographs for use by the reader in screen viewing, lectures, etc.
The Clementine Atlas of the Moon, Ben Bussey and Paul D. Spudis 
The highly successful Clementine mission to the Moon in 1994 gave scientists their first global look at the Moon, and both the near and far side were mapped. This atlas is based on the data collected by the Clementine mission. It covers the entire Moon in 144 Lunar Aeronautical Charts (LACs), and represents the most complete lunar nomenclature database in existence, listing virtually all named craters and other features. This is the first atlas to show the entire lunar surface in uniform scale and format. A section of color plates shows lunar composition and physical properties.
The International Atlas of Lunar Exploration, Philip J. Stooke 
Bringing together a wealth of information from many sources, including some material never before published, this atlas is a comprehensive reference on lunar exploration. It tells the story of every spacecraft mission to the Moon since the dawn of the space age, illustrating each account with a unique combination of maps and annotated photographs. Many of the illustrations were created especially for this atlas, including panoramic photographs from every lunar mission. The missions are listed in chronological order, providing readers with an easy to follow history of lunar missions. Special attention has been given to describing the processes involved in choosing landing sites for Apollo and its precursors. The atlas also includes missions that were planned but never flown, before looking ahead to future missions as the world’s space agencies prepare for a new phase of lunar exploration.
Voices from the Moon: Apollo Astronauts Describe Their Lunar Experiences, Andrew Chaikin
SpaceRef Review: As we descend upon the 40th anniversary of the first humans to stand on the moon, the books, and movies, and DVDs, and websites all seem hell bent on a collision – each one trying to best encapsulate the Apollo experience. While Apollo 11 was the first mission to put people on the moon – other missions followed. And while the experience of walking on the Moon was shared by a precious few, the opinions of the moonwalkers are remarkably diverse so as to allow everyone to identify with what it must have been like to be there.
Once again, in his book “Voices From the Moon: Apollo Astronauts Describe Their Lunar Experiences”, author Andy Chaikin has managed to distill and then capture the essence of Apollo. Indeed, if there is anyone who has lived and breathed Apollo for the past 40 years, it has been Andy. He kept the flame alive when most of us looked at Apollo as old hat. Now, suddenly, it is new again.
Andy did not write this book in the traditional sense. The words are virtually all from the Apollo crews. Nor did he take the pictures – they were also taken by others. Rather, Andy’s artistry is evidenced in how he sat and listened as the crew spoke – sometimes from the grave. He weaved their words and pictures into a narrative about what it was like to go, to live, and then to return from this amazing place.
Many of the images are familiar but many more are not. Often, the images chosen for this book were not what people wanted to see in Life Magazine in 1969, so they were never seen by more than a small few. My favorite in this book is opposite Chapter 9 – “Apollo 13”. I am not certain if it was taken on approach or on return from the Moon. That said, it shows a small grey orb, partially lit in the distance – again it is either a destination or a memory. Across from the image is a quote from Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise which captures the moment when the crew simultaneously knew that their dreams were crushed – and their lives were very much at risk.
Another favorite is a lunar panorama with a telephoto insert showing the Lunar Module “Falcon” utterly dwarfed as it is set against the vast expanse of the Moon. We seem to have forgotten just how awe-inspiring a place the Moon truly is. Maybe it is time to go back and get re-awed all over again.
It is good that these voices were brought back together, perhaps one last time. As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of this grand human adventure, the eyewitnesses have already begun to dwindle in number. A decade hence, that number will be much smaller.
Soon there will only be words and pictures. This book will be at the top of the pile.
Keith Cowing, editor, NASAWatch.com, SpaceRef.com, OnOrbit.com
Apollo: Through the Eyes of the Astronauts, by Robert Jacobs, Michael Cabbage, Stephen Hawking, Lucy Hawking 
Apollo is a photographic commemoration of the Apollo lunar missions as seen through the eyes of the astronauts. Each of the surviving 21 astronauts from the Apollo missions has chosen a favorite photograph from his space flight especially for this book. These selections are accompanied by other iconic photographs from the Apollo missions. Bestselling astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy Hawking contribute a foreword on the meaning of the space exploration. July 20, 2009, marks the 40th anniversary of the first manned landing on the Moon by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11. Apollo is the only photographic book on the Apollo missions to be created by NASA, and is the perfect commemorative volume about this epochal program, where legendary achievement was recorded in powerful images.
