Rocket Men

The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon

By: Robert Kurson

Narrated by: Ray Porter, Robert Kurson

Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

The riveting inside story of three heroic astronauts who took on the challenge of mankind's historic first mission to the moon, from the best-selling author of Shadow Divers.

"Robert Kurson tells the tale of Apollo 8 with novelistic detail and immediacy." (Andy Weir, number one New York Times best-selling author of The Martian and Artemis)

By August 1968, the American space program was in danger of failing in its two most important objectives: to land a man on the moon by President Kennedy's end-of-decade deadline and to triumph over the Soviets in space. With its back against the wall, NASA made an almost unimaginable leap: It would scrap its usual methodical approach and risk everything on a sudden launch, sending the first men in history to the moon - in just four months. And it would all happen at Christmas.

In a year of historic violence and discord - the Tet Offensive, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, the riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago - the Apollo 8 mission would be the boldest, riskiest test of America's greatness under pressure. In this gripping insider account, Robert Kurson puts the focus on the three astronauts and their families: the commander, Frank Borman, a conflicted man on his final mission; idealistic Jim Lovell, who'd dreamed since boyhood of riding a rocket to the moon; and Bill Anders, a young nuclear engineer and hotshot fighter pilot making his first space flight.

Drawn from hundreds of hours of one-on-one interviews with the astronauts, their loved ones, NASA personnel, and myriad experts, and filled with vivid and unforgettable detail, Rocket Men is the definitive account of one of America's finest hours. In this real-life thriller, Kurson reveals the epic dangers involved and the singular bravery it took for mankind to leave Earth for the first time - and arrive at a new world.

"Rocket Men is a riveting introduction to the [Apollo 8] flight.... Kurson details the mission in crisp, suspenseful scenes.... [A] gripping book." (The New York Times Book Review)

©2018 Robert Kurson (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Kurson’s first-rate account of this remarkable spaceflight starts by reminding us what a gamble it was, a revelatory wake-up nudge for anyone who thinks moon flights were routine....There are many pieces to the Apollo 8 story, but Kurson brings them together effortlessly.” (USA Today)

“Rocket Men is close-to-the-bone adventure-telling on a par with Alfred Lansing’s Endurance and Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air. It’s as close to a movie as writing gets.” (Mary Roach, The Washington Post)

I not knee

Great book! Once it got going it really was less like a modern thriller. Just one issue, Love Ray Porter and the narration was superb BUT for the love of William Shatner's hairpiece Gemini is Gem-uh-nye not Gem-uh-knee ( I not E)!!! It was like nails on a chalkboard everytime. But other than that Ray was awesome.

The most amazing space Odyssey that most people have never heard of.

I was 10 years old when Apollo eight flew to the moon and returned safely. I remember it well. It was amazing. I also remember the year 1968. As a 10 year old, it felt like the world was ending. Apollo eight was the ultimate cure for one of the most turbulent years in our nations history.

Now, more than half a century after that historic flight, that adventure has been mostly relegated to the dust bin of time. Everyone knows the story of Apollo 11, and because of the movie, Apollo 13, but for some reason the story of Apollo eight has been mostly forgotten. What’s amazing is that it’s the most exciting story in the entire space program. Even Neil Armstrong said this was the most important flight in the space program. Although I lived through it, I never knew any of the amazing decisions and risks that went into this extraordinary flight. This book documents it in exquisite detail and brings it all to life. As someone who lived through that era, I can’t recommend it enough. To those of you who are unaware of it, strap in and get ready for a hell of a ride.

Wish it were longer!

Great story of the great Apollo 8 mission and the people.
Hated that it ended so soon, but I highly recommend this book to any space fan.
These people were real life heroes. Hard to find today. And good people too.

A must read about Apollo 8

Never knew how important Apollo 8 was to the space race or how daring the mission was.

Loved everything about this one

Loved the story
Loved the narration
One of the best non-fiction books I've ever read (or listened to)

Absolutely Brilliant

One of the few books that actually makes you feel like you are there. Unlike many of the space books/biographies, this one is written like a story. The narrator is one of the best. Very well researched. Highly recommended!!

What an adventure!

Great story, great performance. Super well grounded in the human experience. absolutely worth a listen.

Top read

one of the best books I've listened to in a long time. Can't remember the last time I sat in my car to finish a chapter. Terrific story. Outstanding narrator. Start to finish just a real pleasure to read

Magnificent Wonder

I grew up in Florida's Space Coast in the 60's. My farther worked for RCA, GE and NASA which allowed my entry into the VAB (Vertical Assembly Building) by his side. What an extraordinary site to see the then worlds' largest volumed building. The crawler carrying Apollo spacecraft to the launch pad, multiple opening garage designed doors with twelve men driving or I should say "crawling" inch by inch to the pad.

The description of windows shaking, ground vibration like an earthquake were so unbelievable. The author brought me back to my childhood in the late 1950's watching weather satellites explode in the night time sky, Gemini, Saturn rockets or manned Apollo flights. This book brought back all the excitement with the possibility of man going to the moon...and our black and white TV airing weeks of President Kennedy's death. HAPPY and SAD but determined for the love of the unknown.

Oh those were the brightest days for American strength! Loved this book.

Fantastic Book About The Flight That Made Apollo 11 possible

Very well written book about the brave men who took a giant risk to be the first humans to fly to the moon and back. The book gives details about the mission and gives you a lot of insight about each of the crew members. Highly recommend this book.