Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8

The First Manned Mission to Another World

By: Robert Zimmerman

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

It was Christmas Eve 1968. And the astronauts of Apollo 8 - Commander Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders - were participants in a mission that took them faster (24,000 mph) and farther from the Earth (240,000 miles) than any human had ever traveled. Apollo 8 was the mission that broke humanity's absolute bond to the Earth: it was the first manned vehicle to leave the Earth's orbit.

Confined within a tiny spaceship, the astronauts were aided in their journey by a computer less powerful than one of today's handheld calculators. Their mission was not only a triumph of engineering, but also an enduring moment in history. The words these three men spoke from lunar orbit reverberated through American society, changing our culture in ways no one predicted.

©1998 Robert Zimmerman (P)2018 Robert Zimmerman

The Right (& Real) Stuff!

thrilling easy to listen to informative I learned a lot about things I thought I already knew. enjoyed the narrator and the pace of the reading.

Interesting history of a key time in Space Race

A very interesting history of the Apollo era of the Race for Space, focusing on the crew of the Apollo 8 and their families, but including a some details on some people in the post Apollo space program.

There was a good mix of detail on the crew and the Apollo program itself with background details of the social and historical context of the time which would be especially useful for anyone who didn't live through them.
There is a good effort to provide the human angle to the story and to personalize the story of the crew of Apollo 8 and their families, but there are occasional anecdotes which are fairly banal and could have been edited out.

Grover Gardner was the ideal choice to narrate this book. He is able to reproduce the tone of a 1960's TV anchorman perfectly, which really helps situate you in the period of the book. Excellent job!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Enthralling

Great story of inward and outward courage and adventure filled with promise. I was attracted to the book by the reputation of the author as a good storyteller and kind person. I remember that eventful Christmas Day, sitting with my father, as the three astronauts read from Genesis. It is now Spring 2024 as I again sit with my father, he now 90 and me 63, and listen to the audio book recount those moments. We are reminded of the importance of our journey on this most beautiful earth and the spark reignited in us by all those that made Apollo 8 a wonder.

Potential unrealized

Narrative, when it stuck to the facts, was adequate. But it too often, and particularly at the end, devolved into rah-rah-aren’t-we-great nationalistic drivel. Too bad, for the REAL story of Apollo 8 is about one of the greatest achievements and adventures of ALL humanity. Gardner’s reading was, happily, quite good.

The best book I’ve read on Apollo 8

A standout in every way. Zimmerman puts the
Mission into historical, scientific, and philosophical context. This adds so much depth and meaning to the remarkable story of man’s first trip to the moon.

He talks about the men themselves, their wives, families, and their religious devotion. The follow up stories are particularly interesting.