Review of “Moon: An Illustrated History” by David Warmflash

For most humans, the Moon is the light in the night sky, the romance to a summer’s evening. But for me, the daughter of Moonwalker, Astronaut, Artist Alan Bean it is the planetary orb that defined my father’s life and inspired him to paint the story of man’s exploration to its ancient surface.

That is why I was excited to read David Warmflash’s “Moon: An Illustrated History.” A beautifully-artistic book filled with colorful images, delicate drawings, and fact-filled prose about the lunar body that influences our planet.

The book follows a timeline, beginning with the Moon’s formation 4.5 billion years ago. Each chapter, 2 pages, contains an image and its accompanying story. From the ancient philosophers’ musings on the origin of the moon, through the evolution of astronomers’ theories, to man’s journey on its crater-filled, dusty surface, Warmflash’s book guides the reader through an exploration of the moon’s history.

Naturally I enjoy the chapter “Beginnings of Lunar Field Science” revealing the Apollo 12 crew of Conrad, Gordon, and Bean’s contribution to the study of the moon. But for me the book’s joy lies in learning about the moon myths of the Earth’s early civilizations. I wondered, how will future generations debunk my own personal moon myths? And, what discoveries lie ahead that I cannot imagine?

“Moon An Illustrated History” is a valuable addition to my bookshelf, a terrestrial tool that I recommend to explorers, historians, and lovers of the moon.