Magnificent Desolation (book) notes that "Aldrin removes his space helmet and shows us the very human face of an all-American hero." The ISBN number of "Magnificent Desolation" is . Magnificent Desolation (book) Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon is the second of two autobiographical books written by Buzz Aldrin, the former Apollo 11 astronaut who with Neil Armstrong made the first human Moon landing. The book concentrates mainly on the period after his return from space, and illuminates many of the difficulties he had in coping with his instant world-wide fame following the achievement. He writes candidly about depression, the
Buzz Aldrin in their honor in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. An official state dinner that evening in Los Angeles celebrated the flight. President Richard Nixon honored each of them with a presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This was the beginning of a 45-day "Giant Leap" tour that brought the astronauts to 25 foreign countries and included visits with prominent leaders such as Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. On September 16, 1969, the astronauts addressed a joint session of Congress. With the Apollo Program coming to an end, Aldrin saw few prospects at NASA, and decided to