Manchester City Library

On May 25, 1961 President John F. Kennedy said “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space” while addressing Congress. This goal was achieved on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon saying “…one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”.

Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin. This July is the 55^th Anniversary of this historic mission. To celebrate this amazing achievement, the Manchester City Library has a display of books and DVDs in the Reading Room.

Check out these informative books!

• American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by award-wining historian Douglas Brinkley. This book reflects on President John F. Kennedy’s call to action, the space race against the Soviets, and the numerous space mission leading up to the historic Apollo 11.

• Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objectsby Teasel E. Muir-Harmony. This book was published by National Geographic and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, it tells the story of 50 artifacts key to successful space travel.

You could also check out these films!

• Apollo 11 the 2019 Peabody award winning documentary by filmmaker Todd Douglas Miller. “Crafted from a newly discovered trove of 65mm footage, and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, the film takes viewers straight to the heart of NASA’s most celebrated mission, the one that first put men on the moon, and forever made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into household names.”

• Or the 2018 biographical drama film, First Man, staring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy as Janet Armstrong.

Stop by to see these and other materials on display in the Reading Room on the main floor. You can also view all the items on display in our catalog.