About the Item

Aldrin, Buzz. Magnificent Desolation: Images from the Apollo 11 Lunar Mission with the Words of Astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Reno: Jack Bacon & Company, 2009. First Edition. Numbered 490 of 500. Signed by Astronaut Buzz Aldrin in blue ink. Small quarto, with original publisher’s silver leather and black cloth boards. Presented is a signed, numbered, first edition Magnificent Desolation: Images from the Apollo 11 Lunar Mission with the Words of Astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The book was published by Jack Bacon & Company, in Reno, Nevada, and is hand-numbered 490 of only 500 books in the limited edition. Aldrin’s signature "Buzz Aldrin" is inked boldly above his printed name on the recto of the leaf following the limitation page. The book is an extraordinary collection of more than 50 photographs from the historic Apollo 11 mission, each captioned by Buzz Aldrin. Commemorating the then-40 year anniversary of Aldrin's monumental moon walk, this 2009 volume is different from Aldrin's autobiography with a similar title, published that same year. The title "Magnificent Desolation" is taken from the phrase Aldrin used to describe his first impression of the lunar surface. Buzz Aldrin (b. 1930) was the second human to set foot on the moon. A graduate of West Point before joining NASA, Aldrin flew 66 combat missions in Korea and received a doctorate of science from MIT. He spent four days in space in the Gemini 12 spacecraft, during which he established a new record for extravehicular activity (EVA), with 5 1/2 hours spent outside the spacecraft. But it was the Apollo 11 mission of 1969 that imparted lasting fame. Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Aldrin spent more than two hours on the surface of the moon. When Aldrin resigned from NASA in 1971, he had logged 289 hours and 53 minutes in space, of which 7 hours and 52 minutes were spent in EVA. Since retirement, Aldrin has remained an ardent advocate for manned space exploration and America's future in space.

Dimensions:
Height: 8.38 in (21.29 cm)Width: 8.25 in (20.96 cm)Depth: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper
Place of Origin:
North America
Period:
2000-2009
Date of Manufacture:
2009
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Fine condition. Small quarto, with original publisher’s silver leather and black cloth boards. Signed by Astronaut Buzz Aldrin in blue ink. Hand-numbered 490 of 500.
Seller Location:
Colorado Springs, CO
Reference Number:
Seller: BK09151stDibs: LU909741063142

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