Published in 1999, this is an unusual good book on the question of life on Mars. It's larger format, and physically well constructed, with excellent glossy sewn pages, and numerous black and white illustrations, as well as a number of color plates.

I've read many books on Mars by now, and it is remarkable how the same illustrations are repeated in book after book. Presumably some NASA artist painted them expressly for redistribution.

The book itself is well written by someone who is genuinely interested in Mars and has been viewing Mars and speculating about Mars since his early teens. It sticks to the significant pop-culture references, and shows how books, radio, and movies of the time, reflected what was believed about Mars by scientists of the day (at least some of them).

It covers much astronomical observation, Mariner flybys, the Viking landing, and the Pathfinder mission, as well as many planned missions that never made it. It predates the MSL mission, Spirit and Opportunity, by several years.

It discusses the significance of life on Mars to our conclusions about life on other planets. It gets wildly speculative in its discussion of the future of Mars colonization, and a little silly. ( )