Home |Register |Sign In Home Top Picks: All Books Rocket Men Rocket Men The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon by Robert Kurson Price: $28.00 (Hardcover) Published: April 03, 2018 Rating: 0.0/ 5 (0 votes cast) From the Publisher: The riveting inside story of three heroic astronauts who took on the challenge of mankind’s historic first mission to the Moon,from the New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers .</p><p> By August 1968, the American space program was in danger of failing in its two mostimportant objectives: to land a man on the Moon by President Kennedy’send-of-decade deadline, and to triumph over the Soviets in space.</p><p> With itsback against the wall, NASA made an almost unimaginable leap: It wouldscrap its usual methodical approach and risk everything on a sudden launch.</p><p> With just four months to prepare—a fraction of the normal time required to plan a space mission—the agency committed to sending thefirst men in history to the Moon.</p><p> And it would all happen at Christmas.</p><p> Ina 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 wouldbe the boldest, riskiest test of America’s greatness under pressure.</p><p> In thisgripping insider account, Robert Kurson puts the focus on the threeastronauts 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 nuclearengineer and hotshot fighter pilot making his first space flight.</p><p> Drawnfrom 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 that reads like a real-life thriller.</p><p> In these pages, 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.</p><p> Advance praise for Rocket Men “In 1968 we sent men to the Moon.</p><p> They didn’t leave boot prints, but it was the first time humans ever left Earth for another destination.</p><p> That mission was Apollo 8.</p><p> And Rocket Men, under Robert Kurson’s compelling narrative, is that under-told story.” —Neil deGrasse Tyson “Kurson takes us on mankind’s first trip to the Moon in 1968, another time when it seemed America was tearing itself apart.</p><p> Buton Christmas Eve, we raised our eyes skyward and were inspired by thebravery and eloquence of the three Apollo 8 astronauts as they orbitedthe Moon and reminded us of our common humanity.” —Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger Rate This Book Add To Wishlist |Rate/Review Add To Bookshelf Get This Book Go to your preferred retailer, click to choose a format and you' ll be taken directly to their site where you can get this book.Share This Book About The Author Robert Kurson Robert Kurson earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin and a law degree from Harvard Law School.His award-winning stories have appeared inThe New York Times Magazine, RollingStone, and Esquire, where he was a contributing editor.</p><p> He is the author of threeNew York Times bestsellers: Shadow Divers, the 2005 American Booksellers Association’snonfiction Book Sense Book of the Year;Crashing Through, based on Kurson’s 2006 National Magazine Award–winning profile in Esquire of the blind speed skier, CIA analyst, and entrepreneur Mike May; and Pirate Hunters .</p><p> His latest book, Rocket Men, tells the story of the historic Apollo 8 mission to the Moon.</p><p> He lives in Chicago.</p><p> Release Info List Price: $28.00 (Hardcover) Published: April 03, 2018 Publisher: Random House Large Print Pages: 384 ISBN 10: 0812988701 ISBN 13: 9780812988703Personalize / Add More Choices What We Say Best-selling author Robert Kurson spotlights the Apollo 8 moon mission just in time for the event's 50th anniversary this December.</p><p> It competes with a best-seller released last year about the same feat of orbiting the moon (not to mention the Tom Hanks miniseries From The Earth To The Moon devoting a section to it).</p><p> But the story is so gripping it bears repeating.Kurson sets the stakes nicely: 1968 was a miserable year for the US and the world but those focused on the space race sawthe Soviets pulling ahead once and for all.</p><p> They were poised to orbit the moon with humans on board and stake a claim to unparalleled supremacy in space.</p><p> That's when NASA recklessly rolled the dice, threw aside its customary desire to take every venture step by careful step and send Apollo 8 to the moon.</p><p> Newspaper editorials said taking unnecessary risks likethis was simply uncalled for.</p><p> Top officials at NASA hedged their bets.</p><p> Everyone knew the slightest error might doom themission or -- worse case scenario -- leave the astronauts lost in space or forever orbiting the moon, ruining Christmas notjust for 1968 but forever. instead, it proved a peerless success, though every bump and hurdle is ably described for the layperson to get awfully worked up over.</p><p> Kurson sketches in the three astronauts and their wives deftly: Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders.</p><p> This is easily absorbed by those who know Apollo 11 and saw the movie "Apollo 13" and wonder ifthere are other stories to tell.</p><p> Indeed there are.</p><p> Kurson does a little too much scene-setting with the 1968 details andhammers home the one or two defining personality traits of the astronauts over and over.</p><p> Plus, while every technical challenge and stage of the flight is fraught with danger, it does begin to feel as if he has raised the stakes as high as possible -- now THIS is the crucial moment -- once too often.</p><p> Nonetheless, it's a solid rendition of an inherently absorbingadventure.</p><p> And what a happy time, a time when countries competed ruthlessly by exploring our solar system and expandinghuman knowledge, rather than jockeying for power here on earth.</p><p> Sure, the militarization of space always loomed, butultimately the not-so-friendly rivalry between the US and the USSR remained an ideal way to compare ideologies andcultures. -- Michael Giltz What Others Say Advance praise for Rocket Men “In 1968 we sent men to the Moon.</p><p> They didn’t leave boot prints, but it was the first time humans ever leftEarth for another destination.</p><p> That mission was Apollo 8.</p><p> And Rocket Men, under Robert Kurson’s compelling narrative, is that under-told story.” —Neil deGrasse Tyson “Kurson takes us on mankind’s first trip to the Moon in 1968, another time when it seemed America was tearingitself apart.</p><p> But on Christmas Eve, we raised our eyes skyward and were inspired by the bravery and eloquenceof the three Apollo 8 astronauts as they orbited the Moon and reminded us of our common humanity.” —Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger “Rocket Men is a timely and thrilling reminder of a heroic American achievement—three dashing astronauts and the first rendezvous with the Moon.</p><p> It has it all—suspense, drama, risk, and loving families.</p><p> We could use thosedays again.” —Tom Brokaw “This is the story of the most consequential and daring voyage since those in the era of Columbus, the Apollo 8 mission to the Moon.</p><p> The tale is told with the care and clarity, and the heart-banging drama, that RobertKurson’s legion of readers have come to expect from him.” —Scott Turow “As a Rocket Woman myself, I know very well the story of Apollo 8, and yet I couldn’t put this book down.</p><p> I wastransported—along with NASA, the public, and the crew and their families—on this first-of-its-kind journey.Kurson presents not only the challenges, risks, ambition, and success of Apollo 8, but a story of human spirit.</p><p> Aswe approach the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo 8, their incredible journey and the stunning memory of Earthrisecan set us on the trajectory for an awe-inspired future.” —Nicole Stott, NASA ISS and space shuttle astronaut What You Say Filter by No Reviews Found ..... about us |faq|advertise |privacy policy |newsletter |contact us ©2018, BookBuddha LLc.</p><p> All Rights Reserved.
