Drawings and text describe the tourist resort of Cocoa Beach, Florida, the missile test center seven miles away at Cape Kennedy, and the steps followed in launching the first astronaut from the Cape.

Read the compelling story behind America's half-century space exploration. Through 318 images, see how the space program transformed Cape Canaveral from a traditional citrus production and tourist area into the world's most influential high-tech space center in the nation. From its first launch of a two-stage rocket in 1950 to the latest Space Shuttle missions in 2010, Cape Canaveral has made more successful launches into orbit than any other site in the world. A great souvenir for both visitors and residents, this book is also a wonderful resource for space historians worldwide.

Praise for the hardcover edition: Extremely practical and enjoyable. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) [Will be] devoured by history or space enthusiasts from eight to eighty. -- VOYA The foreword grabbed me, and by the prologue I was hooked. -- The Science Teacher

The book contains several photographs (p. 18-20) of property owned by the Harvard Canaveral Club.

Stenciled on many of the deactivated facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the evocative phrase “abandoned in place” indicates the structures that have been deserted. Some structures, too solid for any known method of demolition, stand empty and unused in the wake of the early period of US space exploration. Now Roland Miller’s color photographs document the NASA, Air Force, and Army facilities across the nation that once played a crucial role in the space race. Rapidly succumbing to the elements and demolition, most of the blockhouses, launch towers, tunnels, test stands, and control rooms featured in Abandoned in Place are located at secure military or NASA facilities with little or no public access. Some have been repurposed, but over half of the facilities photographed no longer exist. The haunting images collected here impart artistic insight while preserving an important period in history.

From Bumper V-2 rocket launches in 1950 to the launch of the Orion spacecraft atop a Delta IV rocket in 2014, NASA's Kennedy Space Center has served as the nation's portal to outer space for over 60 years. Images of Modern America: NASA Kennedy Space Center provides a fascinating look at the evolution of spacecraft technology and vintage images of Florida's scenic Merritt Island, known as the "Space Coast." This photographic history of the nation's premier spaceport looks back at the United States' glorious past in space exploration and ahead to its future.