Apollo 8

The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon

By: Jeffrey Kluger

Narrated by: Brian Troxell

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

great book

Remember it well...watched just about all of the coverage as an enamored space fanatic of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. Greived for the Apollo 1 crew and didnt miss a launch of any of the other missions. This book was a great review of the Apollo 8 mission.

Wonderful.

This audiobook was very enjoyable. What was accomplished by NASA in the 60s remains some of America's and mankind's greatest achievements. This book does a great job of putting the listener right there with what those brave men and brilliant people on the ground were doing.

What an outstanding moment...

What an absolutely outstanding moment... This fantastic book should serve as an inspiration to so many. It sheds such personal, technical, and historically critical light on the first in a series of monumentally magnificent missions in human lunar exploration. Listening to the unexpected REAL excerpts of communications from throughout the Apollo 8 mission at the end brought literal tears to my eyes. It has sufficiently stoked the perpetually smoldering embers of that intrinsic human trait buried deep with my (and so many other's) being... Exploration. A must read.

Wow! Amazing book about Apollo 8!

I downloaded ’Apollo 8’ probably about 6 months ago and didn't remember that it was in my library. I continually watch the movie ’Apollo 13’ & I've been a complete geek 🤓 when it's come to anything re:NASA during the ’60’s.

My family and I moved permanently from the 🇬🇧 to America in June 1968. Everything in 1968 was horrible! From riots, the Vietnam War, to MLK & RFK assassinations were a complete disillusionment of 🇺🇸. I know my mother was strong during those days, but I also know she probably wished we had never moved considering my family was also in WWII and memories were constant...It was a hard year. But then Apollo 8 gave us a view that great things happen in Americs even when other crazy horrible things are all around.

We watch movies like Apollo 13 for inspiration..but isn't it time for a producer take on Apollo 8 for what America was facing in 1968 and just 18 months earlier with 3 astronauts who lost their lives in the capsule fire? Those days need to be brought up again for Millennials & Gen X who have no clue what really happened!

I was 8 years old in Dec 1968 and my parents put me in front of our old black & white TV for the first Apollo to circle the moon, because they didn't want me to be depressed about that year 1968...i clearly remember EVERYTHING...and watching it during the day in 3rd grade.

We must never forget our past..whether its terrible & destructive or inspirational! If we don't read or listen to books such as Apollo 8 by Jeffery Kluger, excellent author, along with Astronauts Frank Borman retelling a lot, or without Lovell, and Anders the flight would not have been complete!

Remember these 3 ”were the first humans to fly to the moon, to witness & photograph an Earthrise and to escape the gravity of a celestial body.”

OUTSTANDING..and I will most DEFINITELY listen and read again! The narrator was outstanding too Brian Troxell. But PLEASE listen carefully to the conclusion where you the reader will listen to the exact transcripts all over again...Youll hear Frank Borman's voice, Houston, Jim Lovells and others. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas too..i was in tears listening to the rescue teams and splashdown and hearing clapping in the background. These were men (and women now)who have put their lives in danger for OUR COUNTRY 🇺🇸 and EVERY TEEN & CHILD needs to listen also..Thank you Apollo 8 🙏

God Bless America 🇺🇸

Ready for Takeoff

I remember looking up at the moon while this mission was taking place, and trying to imagine that people were actually up there circling it. It did not seem possible or real, and yet it happened. This is a very well written book. I was only a kid when it all took place, but it had a huge impact on my life. Reading the back stories of the Apollo 8 mission made it all that more interesting to me. I'm glad I was alive during that time of early space exploration. Look how far we have come. I truly hope we can keep exploring and learning more and more about our universe.

Well read by Brian Troxell.