Review
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"Kluger, a science journalist, previously co-authored the best-selling book turned blockbuster film Apollo 13, and his
latest foray into space history overflows with similarly cinematic details. Apollo 8 delivers the definitive story of
what is, and always will be, one of humanity's greatest adventures."--Scientific American
"Kluger takes readers inside the .... Every agonizing moment both prior to the mission and the mission itself
unfolds in fascinating detail, and Kluger makes the reader more than just an observer while events transpire. Those
familiar with the early history of NASA and the Apollo missions will love Apollo 8, and those who were born in later
years will discover a full understanding of a tumultuous time and the fascinating people who helped make a dream a
reality." --Associated Press
"Compelling.... An engaging tale, delving into the nooks and crannies of physics, space politics, and human
dynamics.....Kluger ably resurrects the drama of half a century ago."--Christian Science Monitor
"Kluger has a knack for telling these stories of humans, machines and the cosmos in an engaging, cinematic manner....
Apollo 8 is a worthy addition to the space history catalog.... Kluger excels at recounting missions, seamlessly blending
procedures with descriptions of what the astronauts saw and felt."--Dallas Morning News
"Relying on extensive interviews with all three NASA astronauts and former NASA officials, agency documents and the
mission audio archive, the author paints an unforgettable picture of the dramatic, wildly successful lunar mission....
[Kluger] informs us in vivid, crisply written prose exactly how the United States recovered from its despairing doldrums
and regained national pride.... Revealing and alive, Apollo 8 is a wonderful, fascinating read." --Tampa Bay Times
"An emotion-filled, inspiring retelling of a remarkable achievement.... Kluger superbly recounts this epic event. He
stays close to the facts and, in easy-to-understand explanations, delves into the physics, politics and human dynamics
of this space venture.... Primary resources add a key dimension to the thrill and the authenticity of the story."--The
Missourian
"In spare yet vivid prose, Kluger...captures the nostalgia and excitement of a'space-drunk nation' in this gripping
account of the first lunar mission.... Kluger's laudable storytelling novelistically conveys the charged politics of the
era.... Readers will relish Kluger's multisensory prose, and the whole gamut of space flight comes alive in the
details." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Compelling.... The Apollo 8 mission [was] at least as audacious as anything NASA has done before or since.... A
detailed, and entertaining, account." --The Space Review
"There is plenty of Apollo information and narrative out there for the interested reader, but it needs the discerning
eye of a Kluger, who knows how to sift through it all to the essential detail and tell it accessibly. His style never
underplays the spectacle and achievement of the moon s, but he laces his descriptions with reminders that the
endeavour was delivered by human ingenuity, labour and passion."--NewScientist.com
"The lead-up to the mission -- the selection of astronauts, the testing of equipment, the training -- is just as
compelling as the flight itself.... Comprehensively detailed, and written with the sure hand of someone who knows his
material inside and out, the book is guaranteed to be a hit with armchair astronauts, space-program veterans, and all
readers in between." --Booklist
"An enjoyable retelling of one of the momentous American achievements that made moon landing possible." --Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will enjoy the vicarious thrill of that flight to the Moon in the stellar company of Borman, Anders and
Lovell."--Nature
"Kluger paints a detailed picture of a dangerous journey.... His access to NASA mission transcripts...proves
particularly useful in bringing the reader inside the . On the ground, Kluger expertly captures the intensity of
the flight controllers and the anxiety of the astronauts' families watching from suburban Houston. For a book about
science and exploration, there's plenty of emotion."--BookPage Online
"No matter how many times you return to the Apollo missions, you never exhaust their thrilling seat-of-your-pants
suspense. But here, in the superbly capable hands of Jeffrey Kluger, the little known story of Apollo 8 bursts vividly
to life. I couldn't put it down." --Ken Burns, Director of more than two dozen films, including 'The Civil War, '
'Baseball' and 'Jackie Robinson'
"Drawing on historical transcripts and documents and his own extensive interviews with the leading players, Jeffrey
Kluger paints a portrait of the U.S. space program and the first manned expedition to the moon so vivid that we feel
ourselves riding in the hurtling rocket with the astronauts, taut with the thrill, the danger, and the cosmic meaning of
the mission. Apollo 8 is storytelling at its best."--Alan Lightman, MIT professor of humanities, and best-selling author
of The Accidental Universe
"This irresistible tale is full of rocketry and space science, all of it elegantly explained, but it's the extraordinary
cast of characters that remains with you, as human as they are heroic and each portrayed with wit and empathy by a
master story-teller."--Geoffrey C. Ward, author of A First-Class Temperament
"It was refreshing to read about my friends Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders and follow their record setting
trip to the moon. Jeffrey has got it all exactly straightand I enjoyed reading it very much." --Michael Collins, Command
Module Pilot, Apollo 11
"One of our greatest accomplishments - people truly leaving our planet for the first time - finally gets its due.
Jeffrey Kluger colorfully captures the time, the people, and the mission of Apollo 8 with an entertaining and
informative account of the stories of this historic adventure. This book let me relive my little boy inspiration to
explore space." --Mike Massimino, shuttle astronaut and best-selling author of 'Spaceman'
About the Author
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Jeffrey Kluger is the author of several books, including Apollo 13 (originally published as Lost Moon) and
The Sibling Effect. As a science editor and senior writer for Time for more than two decades, he has written more than
forty cover stories for the magazine. He lives in New York City.