Lunar: A History of the Moon in Myths, Maps + Matter

A beautiful showcase of hand-drawn geological charts of the Moon, combined with a retelling of the symbolic and mythical associations of Earth’s satellite. President Kennedy’s rousing ‘We will go to the Moon’ speech on 25 May 1961 set Project Apollo in motion and spurred on scientists at the US Geological Survey in their efforts to carry out geologic mapping of the Moon. Over the next 11 years a team of 22 created 44 superb charts – one for each named quadrangle on the Earthside of the Moon. In Lunar, for the first time, you can see every beautifully hand-drawn and coloured chart accompanied by expert analysis and interpretation by Smithsonian science curator Matthew Shindell. Long a source of wonder, fascination and symbolic significance, the Moon was crucial to prehistoric man in their creation of a calendar; it played a key role in ancient creator myths and astrology; and if has often been associated with madness. Every mythical and cultural association of the Moon throughout history is explored in this sumptuous volume, culminating in the 1969 Moon landing, which heralded the beginning of a whole new scientific journey.

About the Author :
Matthew Shindell is a historian of science whose work focuses on the history of the Earth and planetary sciences, in particular on the development of these fields during the Cold War. He is the curator of Planetary Science at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and co-hosts the Museum's podcast, AirSpace. Shindell received a PhD in History of Science from the University of California, San Diego, and has taught at the University of Southern California and Harvard University. In addition to writing poetry, he is the author of The Life and Science of Harold C. Urey, co-author of Spaceships and Discerning Experts: The Practices of Scientific Assessment for Environmental Policy and co-editor of Smithsonian American Women. His latest book, For the Love of Mars, was published May 2023.

Review :
'Colourful and brilliantly presented ... containing everything you would want to know about the Moon. Lunar can be opened again and again, with a guarantee that you’ll find something new each time among its pages' - BBC Sky at Night 'As explained in Lunar – the exquisite new Thames & Hudson book that presents the stunning Apollo-era Lunar Atlas alongside a collection of charming essays – madness has long been associated with the Moon. One suspects there was a good kind of mania behind the drawing up of the Lunar Atlas, a series of geological maps plotting the rock formations on the Moon’s surface that are as much art as they are a visualization of data. And having drooled over Lunar, truly the crème de la crème of coffee table books, one cannot fail but to become a little mad for the Moon too' - Physics World 'There are so many parts in Shindell’s Lunar, with the range of contributing authors enabling it to present a wide diversity of perspectives; but some themes that run through the text are those of wonder, mystery and inescapable connection. The interweaving of practical, scientific, spiritual and artistic ways of thinking about our one natural satellite makes a powerful case for our need to rebalance our relationship with it beyond the purely scientific, and to make sure the voices of all people are heard' - Nature Astronomy 'Stunning ... the ultimate coffee table book on the Moon with an array of fascinating stories to tell' - Geoscientist 'Exquisitely designed and gorgeously produced ... Unquestionably a visual treat. Space enthusiasts, ordinary readers and policymakers should spend time with its pages' - Space News