- Published four decades after the first lunar landing, Voices from the Moon, by Andrew Chaikin with Victoria Kohl, opens with a quote by Apollo 15 commander Dave Scott, now 76 years old: "I cannot count the number of times somebody has said to me, 'What does it feel like to be on the moon?' I'm tired of that, Andy. I don't want to try and figure that out anymore. I've done my best."

Fortunately, Chaikin has spared him the trouble. This volume, composed entirely of quotes from the Apollo astronauts alongside artful arrangements of their photographs, may be the best single source for getting a vivid sense of the lunar landings as experienced by the astronauts.

Chaikin, author of the landmark 1994 history A Man on the Moon, went back to the interviews he conducted for that book nearly 20 years ago to bring out these gems, and the wait was worth it. See the gallery at right for photos and excerpts from the book.