Apollo 8

The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon

De: Jeffrey Kluger

Narrado por: Brian Troxell

This program includes a bonus conversation with Commander Frank Borman plus archival audio from Apollo 8's lunar orbit and from the cockpit during the mission.

The untold story of the historic voyage to the moon that closed out one of our blackest, bloodiest years with a nearly unimaginable triumph

In August 1968 NASA made a bold decision: In just 16 weeks, the United States would launch humankind's first flight to the moon. Only the year before, three astronauts had burned to death in their spacecraft, and since then the Apollo program had suffered one setback after another. Meanwhile, the Russians were winning the space race, the Cold War was getting hotter by the month, and President Kennedy's promise to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade seemed sure to be broken. But when Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders were summoned to a secret meeting and told of the dangerous mission, they instantly signed on.

Written with all the color and verve of the best narrative nonfiction, Apollo 8 takes us from Mission Control to the astronauts' homes, from the test labs to the launchpad. The race to prepare an untested rocket for an unprecedented journey paves the way for the hair-raising trip to the moon. Then, on Christmas Day, a nation that has suffered a horrendous year of assassinations and war is heartened by an inspiring message from the trio of astronauts in lunar orbit. And when the mission is over - after the first view of the far side of the moon, the first Earth-rise, and the first reentry through the Earth's atmosphere following a flight to deep space - the impossible dream of walking on the moon suddenly seems within reach.

The full story of Apollo 8 has never been told, and only Jeffrey Kluger - Jim Lovell's coauthor on their best-selling book about Apollo 13 - can do it justice. Here is the tale of a mission that was both a calculated risk and a wild crapshoot, a stirring account of how three American heroes forever changed our view of the home planet.

©2017 Jeffrey Kluger (P)2017 Macmillan Audio

Audible edition, audio extras very enjoyable

This audio version of Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger was excellent. While I was already familiar with the history of the Apollo program, I enjoyed the description of the mission to orbit the moon and return to earth with all the added details of the political and cultural occurrences in America during that time putting this historic mission in context with a time of upheaval. NASA personnel were insulated and isolated to a point, but it is well worth considering what was happening all around them. This makes the words of the telegram Borman and crew received on their return all the more poignant and meaningful.

I especially enjoyed the “audio extras” of the actual mission control audio conversations with the astronauts during various portions of the mission, including the Christmas Eve reading, and also the interview of Borman by the author.

A Focus On Apollo 8 and The Risks They Took.

I am a fan boy of the Apollo missions so this is added to my collection of 60's aviation books. I really like the detail that was not included in other books. The book had great insight into the families and their thoughts as well and a more detailed look at the engineers. The Astronauts are the heroes, but it was nice to hear about the heroes behind the heroes. Well written and researched. If you are wondering if you have heard it all about Apollo, I doubt it this will fill in some gaps about this missions and the huge risks taken.

A Great Listen

Jeffrey Kluger has written an amazing book. He covered the space program, highlighting events leading up to the first lunar mission in a captivating and exciting manner. The pace of the book was perfect with Brian Troxell’s narration being the icing on the cake. I highly recommend it. A great listen.

Simply Fantastic

Great audiobook that keeps you listening. I did this on a down and back road trip and it did not disappoint.

A great book to sate some curiosities you never knew you had!

Can you fly with scar tissue on your ear drum?

Why more people didn’t die in the Apollo 1 explosion.

Great Space History for people who like the details.