First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong

On July 20, 1969, the world stood still to watch thirty-eight-year-old American astronaut Neil A. Armstrong become the first person ever to step on the surface of the moon. Upon his return to Earth, Armstrong was honored and celebrated for his monumental achievement. He was also - as James R. Hansen reveals in this fascinating and important authorized biography - misunderstood. Armstrong's accomplishments as an engineer, a test pilot, and an astronaut have long been a matter of record, but Hansen's unprecedented access to private documents and unpublished sources and his interviews with more than 125 subjects (including more than fifty hours with Armstrong himself) yield this first in-depth analysis of an elusive American celebrity still renowned the world over.