| Apollo 13 Contributor(s): Lovell, James (Author), Kluger, Jeffrey (Author) |
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ISBN: 0618619585 ISBN-13: 9780618619580 Publisher: Mariner Books OUR PRICE: $17.09 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 2006 Annotation: The best-selling book that inspired the blockbuster movie "A story of courage -- in space, at NASA, and at the homes of those involved." -- Houston Chronicle A timeless tribute to the enduring American spirit, Apollo 13 tells the story of America's fifth mission to the moon, a mission that nearly ended in catastrophe in April 1970. Only fifty-five hours into the flight, disaster struck for Jim Lovell and two other astronauts after an explosion left them with a rapidly declining supply of oxygen and power. Lovell and Kluger vividly chronicle how the men were forced to abandon the main ship for the lunar module, a tiny craft designed to keep two men alive for only two days. At home, a nation watched the desperate efforts of Mission Control to bring the crew back in what many consider NASA's finest hour. "A thrilling story of a thrilling episode in the history of space exploration." -- James A. Michener, author of Space "Puts the reader in one of those [Apollo] slingshots, pulls, and lets go. What a moon shot. What a time. What a ride." -- Baltimore Sun "A tale of adventure to chill a reader's spine." -- Atlantic Monthly Jim Lovell joined NASA in 1962 and flew a total of four missions before retiring in 1973. He continues to lecture across the country, speaking about space exploration. Jeffrey Kluger is a senior writer at Time and the author of several other books, including Splendid Solution: Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - 20th Century |
| Dewey: 629.454 |
| LCCN: 2006273478 |
| Physical Information: 1.02" H x 5.52" W x 8.28" (0.95 lbs) 432 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 20th Century |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: In April 1970, during the glory days of the Apollo space program, NASA sent Navy Captain Jim Lovell and two other astronauts on America's fifth mission to the moon. Only fifty-five hours into the flight of Apollo 13, disaster struck: a mysterious explosion rocked the ship, and soon its oxygen and power began draining away. Written with all the color and drama of the best fiction, APOLLO 13 (previously published as Lost Moon) tells the full story of the moon shot that almost ended in catastrophe. Minutes after the explosion, the three astronauts are forced to abandon the main ship for the lunar module, a tiny craft designed to keep two men alive for just two days. As the hours tick away, the narrative shifts from the crippled spacecraft to Mission Control, from engineers searching desperately for a way to fix the ship to Lovell's wife and children praying for his safe return. The entire nation watches as one crisis after another is met and overcome. By the time the ship splashes down in the Pacific, we understand why the heroic effort to rescue Lovell and his crew is considered by many to be NASA's finest hour. Now, thirty years after the launch of the mission, Jim Lovell and coauthor Jeffrey Kluger add a new preface and never-before-seen photographs to Apollo 13. In their preface, they offer an incisive look at America's waxing and waning love affair with space exploration during the past three decades, culminating only recently when the Apollo 13 spacecraft itself, long consigned to an aviation museum outside Paris, was at last returned to its rightful home in the United States. As inspiring today as it was thirty years ago, the story of Apollo 13 is a timeless tribute to the enduring American spirit and sparkling individual heroism. |
Contributor Bio(s): Lovell, James: - Jim Lovell joined NASA in 1962 and flew a total of four missions before retiring in 1973. After Apollo 8, America's first mission to the moon, he and his two crew members were named Time's Men of the Year. He and his wife, Marilyn, now live in Illinois.Kluger, Jeffrey: - Jeffrey Kluger is a senior writer at Time and the author of Journey Beyond Selene. He and his wife, Alejandra, live in New York. |