Good books about the moon landings hoax?

[Bob B.]

I've definitely loved reading some of the links and have ordered some books.

If I may ask, what web sites have you read and what books have you ordered?

[smartcooky]

... if anything it was fun watching people get so worked up about it!

Getting worked up? No

Having a few laughs at the level of stupid? Definitely!

A sure sign that users here are becoming amused by the stupid is that we start making MPFC references.

[JayUtah]

Why is there so much anger around?!

I'm not sure what you're interpreting as anger.  Most of us are accustomed to the evasive, lackluster maneuvers some conspiracy theorists take when their claims are questions.  We've discovered through experience that a pointed, no-nonsense approach to the debate is most effective in dealing with that sort of bluster.  Don't mistake it for rudeness or emotion.

For me, it doesn't really matter if Jocks book is fact or fiction...

It does to me.  I like my history to be true, not made up.  If the blurbs are to believed, the book claims Armstrong's ghost revealed to the author that the Moon landings were a "military hoax."  If that is true, then the author is calling nearly half a million intelligent, skilled people liars.  And charging people money to read about him doing it.  Exploring a fictional "alternate history" narrative is often very entertaining.  Accusing people of committing fraud on a wide scale and attesting to it as fact -- on no better evidence (at this point) than some claim of supernatural visitation -- is an entirely different thing altogether.  Do you think there should be no consequences for that behavior?

...it was fun watching people get so worked up about it!

The workup derives not from the material itself, but from his claim that it is factual despite several glaring reasons why it isn't likely to be true.  As several have said, if he would honestly label his writing as fiction he would not provoke criticism.

[JayUtah]

Having a few laughs at the level of stupid? Definitely!

Very much so.  On the one hand I'm committed to maintaining the integrity of the historical record that pertains to my profession.  On the other hand, it's entirely amusing to watch a grown man from a respectable walk of life behave as if he's barking mad.

A sure sign that users here are becoming amused by the stupid is that we start making MPFC references.

"Vocational guidance counselor .... vocational guidance counselor ... "

[onebigmonkey]

For me it's not so much the spinning of a yarn by Mr Burns that is annoying - many great works of fiction have a nail of history on which to hand their thread.

What's annoying is the get out clause.

All these stories are true exactly as he recalls them.

That phrase is a double edged one. It can be interpreted as meaning either "every word I say is true", or as "I believe every word i say", and it's a very convenient line to use if it turns out that you believed incorrectly. This strikes me as a very devious way of extracting money from people.

[JayUtah]

This strikes me as a very devious way of extracting money from people.

...while avoiding legal liability.

[gillianren]

And frankly, if the examples we have here are indicative of his writing skills, his pamphlet is a waste of money on several levels unless he has a damn fine copy editor.

[beedarko]

And frankly, if the examples we have here are indicative of his writing skills, his pamphlet is a waste of money on several levels unless he has a damn fine copy editor.

Shouldn't it be "damned fine"?

[Tedward]

Hey sorry for not replying for a while. I was kind of scared to be frank haha.
 
Some great posts and some not so great. Why is there so much anger around?!

Anyway. I've definitely loved reading some of the links and have ordered some books. For me, it doesn't really matter if Jocks book is fact or fiction, just that it covers a topic I love to read about, so I've ordered a copy from his website. I hope it is good, if anything it was fun watching people get so worked up about it!

I'll gladly give a mini review once I've got it and had chance to read it, might be a while though. Thanks guys.

Are you going to read any proper material on the subject or have you restricted yourself to the other stuff? I think this is important.

There are a few good reads on the NASA web site. They are free, and that have actual real facts in them you can check up, not made up junk.

[Kiwi]

For me, it doesn't really matter if Jocks book is fact or fiction...

It does to me.  I like my history to be true, not made up.  If the blurbs are to believed, the book claims Armstrong's ghost revealed to the author that the Moon landings were a "military hoax."  If that is true, then the author is calling nearly half a million intelligent, skilled people liars.  And charging people money to read about him doing it.  Exploring a fictional "alternate history" narrative is often very entertaining.  Accusing people of committing fraud on a wide scale and attesting to it as fact -- on no better evidence (at this point) than some claim of supernatural visitation -- is an entirely different thing altogether.  Do you think there should be no consequences for that behavior?

I came across the following quote for the first time yesterday, in my local newspaper, and particularly liked how, to me, it applies to Apollo. Perhaps it also applies to Jockndoris's book.

Any doctrine that will not bear investigation is not a fit tenant for the mind of an honest man.
Robert G Ingersoll, American lawyer and politician (1833-1899)

[ineluki]

Why is there so much anger around?!

If you are not bothered by being told really stupid bold lies and thought for a stupid fool who swallows even completely retarded scenarios, then you won't understand...

[gillianren]

And frankly, if the examples we have here are indicative of his writing skills, his pamphlet is a waste of money on several levels unless he has a damn fine copy editor.

Shouldn't it be "damned fine"?

It's an idiom; it can go either way.

[twik]

Why is there so much anger around?!

This is a strangely common complaint among conspiracists. I think it really translates to "Why are you so vehemently denying that things are the way I wish to believe they are? Why can't you just let me believe what I want, and persuade the rest of the world that this is true, without getting any of that nasty old reality and evidence in my way?"

Even if the moon hoax idea didn't smear real, live people as liars and cheats, denying the realities of the world can lead to serious consequences. People who swallow the idea that the aerospace community is a bunch of lying scoundrels will often, say, have less problem swallowing the next idea, that the medical community promotes vaccines even if they are harmful, because hey, science and industry are evil, and that's what they do.

If you're going to stand up and say, "I believe stars are living phosphorescent creatures who swim in a dark sea over our heads," don't complain about "anger" when people try to explain to you how that just can't be true.

[raven]

Let's say someone, without evidence and even making up stuff, said the accomplishments of you and/or your friends and relations were out right lies, that you had defrauded the public of vast amounts of money, and even committed murder to conceal your actions. All this without a shred of evidence worthy of the name.
Worse, they are profiting from this  by selling media of these preposterous claims
Wouldn't you be a little peeved at this miscarriage of justice?

[sts60]

I'm not angry.  I admit to being baffled that Jockndoris would expect that such a frankly cockamamie claim merits any attention whatsoever, other than perhaps a roll of the eyes.   Whether or not the golf course accepts civilian guests under any circumstances is utterly beside the point.  Neil Armstrong was observed to be on the Moon that day.  The idea that one of the most famous men in human history would be casually and openly playing golf with some random civilian on a military course when he was supposed to be on another planetary body is just... stupid.   It doesn't need debunking; it's not even interesting as a funny story. 

Edited to add: I have worked with Apollo engineers.  If I was going to get offended on their behalf by someone libeling their efforts, such as Jockndoris is attempting to do, it would take something more than such silly crackpottery.