1
of
1
A Fire on the Moon
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 907 ratings, 137 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK
Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock
Sorry, we're currently out of stock of A Fire on the Moon. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Tells the scarcely credible story of the Apollo 11 mission. This book is suffused with Mailer's obsession both with the astronauts themselves and with his own anxieties and terrors about the extremity of what they were trying to achieve.
A Fire on the Moon, written as events unfolded, is Mailer's matchless account of the Apollo 11 mission- the psychology of the astronauts, the launch of their rocket in a burst of white flame, the families left behind, and Mailer's anxieties and terrors about the enormity of what they were doing.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Mailer's superb account, written as it was happening, of the first attempt to land men on the moon.
'Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.'
A Fire on the Moon tells the scarcely credible story of the Apollo 11 mission. It is suffused with Mailer's obsession both with the astronauts themselves and with his own anxieties and terrors about the extremity of what they were trying to achieve. Mailer is both admiring and appalled, and the result is a book which is both a gripping narrative and a brilliant depiction of the now-forgotten technical issues and uncertainties around the mission.
A Fire on the Moon is also a matchless portrait of an America caught in a morass of introspection and misery, torn apart by the war in Vietnam. But for one extraordinary week in the summer of 1969, all eyes were on the fates of three men in a rocket, travelling a quarter of a million miles away from Earth.
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
View all-
East of Eden
Set against the backdrop of the fertile Salinas Valley in California, East of Eden is a profound and compelling novel by John Steinbeck, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. This masterful narrative charts the intertwining destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—across multiple generations. Steinbeck's intricate portrayal of human nature and enduring exploration of moral themes...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips early August -
The Origins of Totalitarianism
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt is a seminal examination of the rise of totalitarianism in the 20th century. Through a profound and thorough analysis, Arendt explores the complex mechanisms and underpinnings that facilitated the emergence of totalitarian regimes, specifically delving into the horrors of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Soviet Union. Arendt masterfully dissects the various elements that contribute...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a profound and evocative tale that captures the journey of the Joad family as they traverse the harsh landscapes of America during the Great Depression. As drought and economic hardship ravage their farming homeland in Oklahoma, the resilient Joads are driven from their beloved home and journey westward in a desperate bid...Paperback$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
A Month in the Country
A sensitive portrayal of the healing process that took place in the aftermath of the First World War, J.L. Carr's A Month in the Country includes an introduction by Penelope Fitzgerald, author of Offshore, in Penguin Modern Classics. A damaged survivor of the First World War, Tom Birkin finds refuge in the quiet village church of Oxgodby where he is...Paperback$1900Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Trouble With Being Born
The Trouble With Being Born by E. M. Cioran is a deeply introspective and profoundly philosophical exploration of the human condition. The book navigates the bleak and often darkly comic territories of existence, examining fundamental questions such as birth, death, the concept of God, the relentless passage of time, the complexity of human relationships, and the daily struggle to find...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is a gripping narrative that revolves around the unwavering and fiercely independent architect, Howard Roark. Roark’s vision and uncompromising integrity lead him to clash with a conformist society that resists innovation and creativity. The novel intricately explores Roark's journey as he battles against traditional norms, challenges mediocrity, and strives to preserve his unique artistic vision...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
On the Road
"The most beautifully executed, the clearest and the most important utterance yet made by the generation Kerouac himself named years ago as 'beat.'" - The New York Times On the Road swings to the rhythms of 1950s underground America, jazz, sex, generosity, chill dawns, and drugs, with Sal Paradise and his hero Dean Moriarty, traveller and mystic, the living epitome...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Haunting of Hill House
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is an unparalleled classic in the genre of horror literature, weaving an atmosphere of dread and suspense that continues to captivate readers. The story follows four distinct characters brought together by a shared curiosity about the supernatural phenomena reported at the infamous Hill House. Dr. Montague, a determined and scholarly investigator of...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Myth of Sisyphus
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus explores one of the most profound philosophical questions: Is life worth living? Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Second World War, Camus delves into the existential crisis faced by humanity, particularly the struggle to find meaning in a world devoid of higher purpose. Through a captivating blend of philosophical discourse and literary...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Fire Next Time
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin is a seminal work that offers a profound and personal exploration of race relations in America. Structured as two poignant letters, Baldwin addresses his 14-year-old nephew on the one hand, and on the other, an open letter to his fellow countrymen. Through these missives, Baldwin intimately reflects on his experiences growing up in...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Steppenwolf
A new translation of this counterculture classic by David Horrocks. At first sight, Harry Haller seems like a respectable, educated man. In reality, he is the Steppenwolf—wild, strange, alienated from society, and repulsed by the modern age. But as he is drawn into a series of dreamlike and sometimes savage encounters—accompanied by, among others, Mozart, Goethe, and the bewitching Hermione—the...Paperback$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré was Le Carre's breakthrough work of 1963; an award-winning number one global bestseller that brought him international renown. It redefined the spy story as a gritty and terrible tale of men who are caught up in politics beyond their imagining. Alex Leamas is tired. It's the 1960s, and...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
A Fire on the Moon by Norman Mailer is celebrated for its intricate and vivid depiction of the Apollo 11 mission, blending a journalistic approach with personal reflection. Reviewers often highlight Mailer's detailed narrative style and philosophical insights into the implications of space exploration. While some find the book's length challenging, many appreciate its deep dive into the historical and emotional context of humankind's lunar journey.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780141394961
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 05 June 2014
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 25.0mm
Width: 131.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 318g
Pages: 432
About the Author
Norman Mailer (1923-2007) was one of the great post-War American writers, both as a novelist and as one of the key inventors of the New Journalism. His books include the novels The Naked and the Dead, The Deer Park, Why Are We in Vietnam?, The Executioner's Song and Harlot's Ghost and the non-fiction works The Armies of the Night, A Fire on the Moon (published in the USA as Of a Fire on the Moon) and The Fight. He won the National Book Award and twice won the Pulitzer Prize.
Also by Norman Mailer
View all-
The Fight
From the visionary mind of one of New Journalism's pioneering figures, Norman Mailer, The Fight provides an unfiltered, riveting account of the 1974 World Heavyweight Boxing Championship held in Kinshasa, Zaire. This historic bout brought together two of the most formidable boxers on the planet - Muhammad Ali and George Foreman - who clashed not just with their fists, but...Paperback$2600Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips early August -
The Executioner's Song
The Executioner's Song is a Pulitzer Prize-winning account of murderer Gary Gilmore's desire to die. In the summer of 1976, Gilmore robbed two men and then shot them in cold blood. No one had been executed in America for ten years, but Gilmore, rather than have his sentence commuted to life imprisonment, wanted to die. His ensuing battle with the...Paperback$3500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Armies of the Night
Mailer's classic account of the 1967 anti-Vietnam War rally in Washington D.C., and one of the best 'nonfiction novels' ever written. October 21, 1967, Washington, D.C. 20,000 to 200,000 protesters are marching to end the war in Vietnam, while helicopters hover overhead and federal marshals and soldiers with fixed bayonets await them on the Pentagon steps. Among the marchers is...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Naked and the Dead
One of the finest American novels ever written, Norman Mailer's classic account of the Philippines campaign of WW2. Based on Mailer's own experience of military service in the Philippines during World War Two, The Naked and the Dead is a graphically truthful and shattering portrayal of ordinary men in battle. First published in 1949, as America was still basking in...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Norman Mailer. Neil Leifer. Howard L. Bingham. The Fight
On October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire, at the virtual centre of Africa, two boxers were paid five million dollars apiece to confront each other in an epic match. One was Muhammad Ali, who vowed to reclaim the championship he had lost. The other was George Foreman, who was as taciturn as Ali was voluble and who kept his hands...Hardback$23500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
An American Dream
One of the best American novels ever written - a rollicking, controversial New York fable. As Stephen Rojack, a decorated war hero and former congressman who murders his wife in a fashionable New York City high-rise, runs amok through the city in which he was once a privileged citizen, Mailer peels away the layers of our social norms to reveal...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Norman Mailer
This book is really two books. It is a biography, and it is also a pictorial retrospective of an actress whose greatest love affair was conceivably with the camera, wrote Norman Mailer in his 1973 biography, Marilyn. TASCHEN has paired Mailer's original text with Bert Stern's photographs from the legendary Last Sitting—widely considered the most intimate photographs of Monroe ever...Hardback$23500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
Advertisements for Myself
An essential guide to the life and work of one of America's most controversial writers. Advertisements for Myself is a comprehensive collection of the best of Norman Mailer's essays, stories, interviews, and journalism from the Forties and Fifties, linked by anarchic and riotous autobiographical commentary. Laying bare the heart of a witty, belligerent, and vigorous writer, this manifesto of Mailer's...PaperbackSold Out
More from Science & Nature
View all-
Murder Under the Mistletoe
BOOK 4 IN THE BESTSELLING CANON CLEMENT MYSTERY SERIES 'The best of the new cosy crime writers' Daily Telegraph 'You'll want to take a front row pew in Champton while this delicious series unfolds' Janice Hallett It is Christmas Day and at Champton Rectory, Canon Daniel Clement and his mother Audrey are joined by the residents and guests of the...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
John and Paul
THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'A triumph.' Deborah Levy, New Statesman 'Tremendous.' Alwyn Turner, The Times 'Revelatory.' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'The gold standard of Beatles books.' Anthony Quinn, Observer 'As enthralling and astonishing as their music.' Jon Dennis, Sunday Telegraph 'A masterpiece.' Dylan Jones, Evening Standard '[Ian Leslie]...Paperback$2800Elsewhere:$3299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Raising Hare
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HATCHARDS AND BIOGRAPHERS' CLUB FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE HAY FESTIVAL, SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND iNEWS 'A beautiful book' - ANGELINA JOLIE 'I...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' — BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' — TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' — NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...Hardback$4200Elsewhere:$5000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Nuclear War
The Sunday Times bestselling non-fiction thriller that has to be read to be believed. Baillie Gifford shortlisted, a favourite of Steven Bartlett, with an average reader rating of 4.6, sure to be a mass-market hit. Up to now, no one outside of official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Anxious Generation
A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood—and all human relationships—from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces—communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Prisoners of Geography
Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present, and future to offer crucial insights into one of the major factors that determine world history – because if you don’t know geography, you’ll never have the full picture. Originally published in 2015, this completely revised and updated edition brings it up to date with the events and trends of the past...Paperback$2899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Booker PrizeOrbital
Winner of the Booker Prize 2024. Chair of the judges, Edmund de Waal, describes the winner as 'a book about a wounded world' adding that the panel's 'unanimity about Orbital recognises its beauty and ambition'. Life on our planet as you've never seen it before. A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Diddly Squat: Home to Roost
It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - will the chickens finally come home to roost? Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. The spring crop failed. Farming sheep, pigs, and cows was hardly more lucrative (better off breeding ostriches...) But in the face of uncooperative weather, bureaucracy, and the world's persistent refusal to recognise his genius, our hero's not...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Place of Tides
To save the world, we have to start somewhere. One afternoon many years ago, James Rebanks met an old woman on a remote Norwegian island. She lived and worked alone on a tiny rocky outcrop, caring for wild ducks and gathering their down. Hers was a centuries-old trade that had once made men and women rich, but had long been...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Ultra-Processed People
Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Island of Missing Trees
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is a captivating and poignant novel that delves into the intertwined lives of two star-crossed lovers in war-torn Cyprus and their enduring legacy decades later. This Sunday Times bestselling novel intricately weaves themes of love, loss, and identity amidst a backdrop of cultural and historical turmoil. Set in 1974 on the island...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
