Al Worden's personally-owned book: From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne. Later printing. NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1920. Hardcover, 5.25 x 7.75, 323 pages. Evidently presented to Worden by friends "John," "Anne Marie," and "Kimberly," who signed opposite the half-title page; older ownership inscriptions (from near the time of publication) are present to first free end page. In good to very good condition, with cracked hinges and loose spine.
Interestingly, there were several similarities between Verne’s novel and the eventuality of the Apollo program, including: the US being the first to launch a manned spacecraft to circumnavigate the moon; the rejection of Brownsville, Texas as a launch site, and the subsequent choosing of Florida; Apollo 8 being launched in the month of December and splash down and recovery in the Pacific; and the crews being made up of three members.
From the collection of Apollo 15 CMP Al Worden, and accompanied by a letter of provenance from his daughter Alison (Worden) Penczak.
