• Magnificent Desolation

  • The Long Journey Home from the Moon
  • By: Buzz Aldrin, Ken Abraham
  • Narrated by: Patrick Egan
  • Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (240 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Magnificent Desolation  By  cover art

Magnificent Desolation

By: Buzz Aldrin, Ken Abraham
Narrated by: Patrick Egan
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $16.20

Buy for $16.20

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Forty years ago, Buzz Aldrin became the second human, minutes after Neil Armstrong, to set foot on a celestial body other than the Earth. The event remains one of mankind's greatest achievements and was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history. In the years since, millions more have had their Earth-centric perspective unalterably changed by the iconic photograph of Aldrin standing on the surface of the moon, the blackness of space behind him and his fellow explorer and the Eagle reflected in his visor. Describing the alien world he was walking upon, he uttered the words "magnificent desolation." And as the astronauts later sat in the Eagle, waiting to begin their journey back home, knowing that they were doomed unless every system and part on board worked flawlessly, it was Aldrin who responded to Mission Control's clearance to take off with the quip, "Roger. Understand. We're number one on the runway."

The flight of Apollo 11 made Aldrin one of the most famous persons on our planet, yet few people know the rest of this true American hero's story. In Magnificent Desolation, Aldrin not only gives us a harrowing first-person account of the lunar landing that came within seconds of failure and the ultimate insider's view of life as one of the superstars of America's space program, he also opens up with remarkable candor about his more personal trials - and eventual triumphs - back on Earth.

From the glory of being part of the mission that fulfilled President Kennedy’s challenge to reach the moon before the decade was out, Aldrin returned home to an Air Force career stripped of purpose or direction, other than as a public relations tool that NASA put to relentless use in a seemingly nonstop world tour. The twin demons of depression and alcoholism emerged - the first of which Aldrin confronted early and publicly and the second of which he met with denial until it nearly killed him. He burned through two marriages, his Air Force career came to an inglorious end, and he found himself selling cars for a living when he wasn’t drunkenly wrecking them. Redemption came when he finally embraced sobriety, gained the love of a woman, Lois, who would become the great joy of his life, and dedicated himself to being a tireless advocate for the future of space exploration - not only as a scientific endeavor, but also as a thriving commercial enterprise.

These days, Buzz Aldrin is enjoying life with an enthusiasm that reminds us how far it is possible for a person to travel, literally and figuratively. As an adventure story, a searing memoir of self-destruction and self-renewal, and as a visionary rallying cry to once again set our course for Mars and beyond, Magnificent Desolation is the thoroughly human story of a genuine hero.

©2009 Buzz Aldrin (P)2009 Random House

What listeners say about Magnificent Desolation

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    109
  • 4 Stars
    69
  • 3 Stars
    38
  • 2 Stars
    17
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    105
  • 4 Stars
    42
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    90
  • 4 Stars
    39
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

This book must be really well written, and is well read, given that it was gripping in parts, and overall enjoyable. Why only 2 stars?
Start with the fact that the first part of the book is great...then you find out that has already been the subject of another book. That has to do with the trip to the moon and his difficulties with depression afterwards.
The middle is long. There is a20-30 minute section on his wife's past. What does that have to do with anything? Do we reallyneed to hear about all the moon references in his engagement and wedding? The man clearly is so full of himself and his trip to the moon, in some respects it is no wonder he had trouble when he got back.
The end is one long rambling dialogue about his vision for space travel. Again, 10-15 minute rehash of his testimony to congress. If i want that, i can probably go into the congressional record and read it myself.
Overall, Buzz comes off as a man who (in his own words) is all about Buzz. Everything is I this and I that. The man made a huge killing off the fact that he happened to be in the right place at the right time. I am a space nut and love all things about Apollo etc, but these guys did not change history based on their actions or decisions like a Roosevelt, Churchhill, or Eisenhower. They were pilots who go to go on the ride of a lifetime. It's no wonder his fellow astraunauts were criticial of him for using his fame.
This isnot as bad as it sounds, as I actually enjoyed the book and found parts gripping, but by the end, i just felt like saying, get a grip buzz, there are more important things then hotels in space.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

An AA Memoir

Four decades ago we "older guys" saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon. It was one of the most exciting days of our lives and will never be fogotten. The first 20% of Magnificent Desolation tells that story and what a story it is. The middle of the book tells of Aldrin's battle with depression and alcohol. The last pages relate his ideas about the future of NASA and space flight.

This book is not worthy of a man with a PhD from MIT and the military rank he attained. There were no new insights in the voyage to the moon. The story about his depression and alcohol addiction came off as self serving and the sections on how NASA might enhance the space program read like sour grapes. The ability and thoughtfulness of this great American should have shown much brighter. He deserves a better legacy.

Otherwise,for readers who just want to "get to know" this great man, his candor and honesty alone will reward them. It isn't a bad book, it just could have been far more instructive and insightful.

The reading is very good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Long-winded and Laborious

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I thought it would never end.

What could Buzz Aldrin and Ken Abraham have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Shorten it by about half. Keep the first half intact and relegate the latter half to another book under another title.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Patrick Egan?

I wouldn't change narrators.

Did Magnificent Desolation inspire you to do anything?

Yes. I think I'll try to learn Braille.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Too Much

The social churn Aldrin chose to stay in was too much for a the type of person
he is, and caused him tons of grief.
Neil Armstrong was smarter, he just unplugged and went back to rural routes.
It happens all the time, where sudden fame makes hell for somebody; just trying
to remain a fantastic enlargement of themselves.
Anyway, too much head stuff and not enough Space for me, so I didnt bother
downloading the second half.
Aldrin was ahead of his time, having the courage to admit to his problems

The story lacked a space theme I was looking for, here is a guy who spent one
of the longest EVA's in the Gemini program.
It is always puzzling the reticence of the astronauts about an out of this world experience.
The technical part of the moon landing bought forth a fact I never knew-
that by surreptitiously leaving on the Ascent radar, he was the direct cause
of the alarms that came close to aborting the landing.
I wonder what Armstrong said afterwards !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

10% Ok, 90% boring

Neil and Buzz were a truly american heroes for my, but after reading these book I have a complete different opinion about Buzz.
The first part is really a good book. Then he talks and talks and talks about his recovering live and half of the book he talk us about the life off his 3rth wife. What for? I don't know why.
I better read First Man to see the great difference betwen Buzz and Neil life.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Read

Satisfingly technical to keep a geek like me happy... but with a lot of reflection of his entire life so far as well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Magnificent even though long

The book is long and once I had reached the late 1970's portion of this book I wondered what the rest of the book would be about. But I am VERY glad I read on into the 80's, 90's and 2000's. Buzz is a complex man and has inspired people of multiple generations with his active and long life and his courage. Now he can add one more person he has inspired.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Great at first but then tends to go rambling on.

I mean who really cares about his 3rd wife's EX HUSBAND'S upbringing and family background?? I felt like his 3rd wife had to have dictated some of it because I can't imagine Buzz Aldrin spending the time dedicated in this book to such unrelated and unimportant information.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Raw truth

Buzz told his honest story of his ups and downs , his failures & historic accomplishments ! I loved it ! To infinity & beyond !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An inspirational story of a great national hero

An amazing true story of one of our most famous astronauts overcoming depression and alcoholism to becoming our best advocate for future manned space exploration and tourism. It’s a good mix of his deeply personal story and a history of the Apollo program including a play by play of the Apollo 11 moon landing in the first few chapters. The narrator has a similar sound and quality to Buzz’s voice that make listening feel authentic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful