The mission of a lifetime Lessons from the men who went to the moon

With the fiftieth anniversary of the U.S. lunar landing, award-winning reporter Hero examines the experiences of the 24 Apollo Eagles before, during, and after one of the most wondrous expeditionary adventures in human exploration. First-hand interviews with the handful of astronauts still living, now into their eighties and nineties, are supplemented with published memoirs recounting the lived details of unique adventurers. Chapters organize around specific themes, from competing for prized places in the lunar program to how lunar encounters impacted these Eagles psychologically, politically, and spiritually. Remembrances from the scientists, engineers, and physicians supporting these daring ventures help round out the portraits. Included are candid recollections from Eagle wives, who bore the demands and risks of space flight on themselves and families, outside of the limelight and with little support from NASA. After Apollo, America's appetite for interplanetary travel faded, much to the rue of its pioneers. Hero concludes with their thoughts, as they pin hopes on the private sector for a bold resumption of their life's mission.--Ross Dworman Copyright 2019 Booklist

Hero, a former investigative reporter for NBC, shares stirring reflections from nine of the 12 surviving astronauts, out of 24 in all, who walked on or orbited the moon. Mostly former test pilots, they had to prove themselves, through a battery of tests and interviews, to be brave but not daredevils, confident but not arrogant, and independent but also team players. Hero highlights how they conquered fear-during the Apollo 12 moon landing, pilot Alan Bean concentrated on his instrument panel, not the lunar surface outside his window-and were irrevocably changed by their experiences. For instance, when the Apollo 8 crew broke away from Earth's gravitational field and looked back on the planet, they had a new sense, in astronaut Jim Lovell's words, of "how insignificant we really are." Hero takes care to give due credit to NASA, for how it "simulated every conceivable scenario" before missions, solved problems (ensuring the Apollo 13 astronauts' survival after an explosion onboard damaged the spacecraft), and handled disasters (the fire on Apollo I that killed three astronauts). The astronauts' humility, leadership, and belief in the common good shine through this lucid portrait, an inspiring book for any earthling. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.