Book Review: Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger

About:
Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger is a non-fiction book which tells the tale of this famous and historical mission to the moon and back. Mr. Kluger is a senior writer at Time and wrote several about the space program.

• 320 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1627798323

My rating for Apollo 8– 5
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More Books by Jeffrey Kluger

Thoughts:
Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger might be non-fiction, but the author makes this book read as if it is a novel – and an exciting, well written one at that. The author makes the story of the Apollo 8 mission not only personal, but also relevant and fresh.

I’ve read many books about the space program, but Mr. Kluger managed to weave the personal stories of the astronauts (especially the Commander Frank Borman), along with technical details and geopolitical influences. Those subjects, related but difficult to explain, or weaved together in a narrative which makes sense and keeps the book interesting instead of bogged down like a technical manual or political science text book.

Reading the book I felt as an intimate observer to the flight and the cockpit where the three astronauts (Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders) became the first humans to travel beyond low Earth orbit, see our home as a whole plant and observer the far side of the moon.  Being in such small space with two other people, for a week, they must be compatible and flexible. There is even a section about the famous Earthrise photograph.

This is a story about a technological marvel and human achievement, told from a personal, intimate point of view. Even if you know everything there is to know about the mission, I still believe it is a worthwhile, fascinating read.

Buy Apollo 8 from Amazon.com*
More Books by Jeffrey Kluger

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Dis­claimer: I got this book for free
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account