Trailblazers: Neil Armstrong (part of a new series from Stripes Publishing including Harriet Tubman and Jane Goodall with more to come) is an excellent summary of the inspiring lifetime and achievements of the first man on the moon.

Covering Neil’s obsession with flying from childhood model-building, through science fairs, his career as a fighter and then test pilot, until his eventual role as the most famous astronaut who ever lived, this is a whistle stop tour of amazing anecdotes set during a ground-breaking time in the history of space exploration.

Dispersed through the text are evocative illustrations and informative side bars on topics such as ‘The Apollo 1 Tragedy’, ‘Scouts in Space’ and ‘How a Jet Engine works’. However, what comes across most strongly throughout the book are Neil’s human qualities. Hard work, focus, courage, and humility shine through in every decision he makes, both on and off our planet, and that make this an inspiring book for anyone, whether they are a space fanatic or not.