One of the most famous journeys taken by humankind was Apollo 11’s trip to the moon, and Neil Armstrong’s first step on the lunar surface. But the less commonly known story is that of Apollo 8, and the daring risks that were taken in order to win the space race. When Nasa is tipped off that the Soviet Union might be attempting an early mission to the moon, they realize that they have to act big, and they have to act now. Instead of having years to put an operation together, they have just four months to rewrite their plans into a mission that will change the world. The powerful Saturn V rocket needed to make the voyage has only been tested twice, the Russians are making incredible progress with their space program, and the moon is almost a quarter million miles away. The odds are crushing, but success will mean finally proving that the United States has won the race to the moon. Robert Kurson’s new book, Rocket Men, describes the legendary mission in which Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders must become the first humans to orbit another celestial body by the end of 1968, or the decade-long race to the moon will be lost.
Review by Lucas-Teen Reviewer