First sentence: Three astronauts are strapped into a small spacecraft thirty-six stories in the air, awaiting the final moments of countdown. They sit atop the most powerful machine ever built.
Premise/plot: Rocket Men is a GREAT new nonfiction read. Primarily it tells the story of Apollo 8. It also provides an interesting overview of the space program, the cold war, and the sixties. The first half focuses on the men--the astronauts--Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, Bill Anders. The second half focuses on the mission itself. Readers get the perspective of the astronauts, those of mission control, and the families of the astronauts. The epilogue rushes through nearly five decades of history.
My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. If it has a weakness it would be that it made me REALLY want to watch From the Earth to the Moon. I restrained myself. How could I watch and read at the same time?! I love watching and reading about the space program. Though I've probably watched more than I've read. Perhaps I need to fix that soon! Which books would YOU recommend?
This is not a clean read. It has a few bad words--a few REALLY bad words. But the subject more than makes up for that as far as I'm concerned. One might even make the argument that the "current events" of 1968 call for strong language.
I believe the epilogue points out--or maybe it's the last chapter--that there was a failed attempt of a law suit regarding the astronaut's reading of Genesis 1 on the television broadcast of Apollo 8.
The book was full of fascinating details! Highly recommended.
© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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