By Norman Mailer, Taschen, $39.99, 348 pages

Norman Mailer’s Moonfire was first serialized over three issues of Life Magazine in 1970, months after the Apollo astronauts returned from their voyage. Taschen publishing has republished Norman Mailer’s epic account of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The 40th anniversary edition of Moonfire is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen. Along with Norman Mailer’s incomparable words, certainly among his finest work, this edition has hundreds of full color digitally restored photographs.

Taschen’s 40th anniversary edition is a beautifully produced piece of publishing. This is a coffee table book for the ages, from the iconic portrait of Buzz Aldrin on the cover, to the photograph of the lunar module Eagle on the back cover; it’s a work of art. The Apollo 11 Moon landing represents the single greatest achievement in the history of mankind. This book would make an exquisite gift for anybody with an interest in the space program. If you are so inclined Taschen produced a limited edition of Moonfire which included a stand, and a chunk of a Moon meteorite. Only 12 were made, with a price tag of $112,500.00 (plus tax, I would imagine). If you don’t want to spend quite that much, the retail edition, at $39.99 is quite a value.

Reviewed by Brad Wright