Apollo 13 Paperback - 2006

NATIONAL BESTSELLER. Astronaut Jim Lovell and coauthor Jeffrey Kluger's harrowing account of the Apollo 13 disaster, a gripping true story of survival in space. Serving as the basis for Ron Howard's blockbuster Apollo 13, the book reveals true details not shown in the movie. Thrilling and evocative, you feel as though you're alongside Lovell in the lunar module.

Written with all the color and drama of the best fiction, this work of historical nonfiction, Apollo 13, tells the full story of the moon shot that almost ended in catastrophe. Minutes after a mid-flight 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.

Inspiring and astonishing, the story of Apollo 13 is a timeless tribute to the enduring American spirit and sparkling individual heroism.

This riveting astronaut memoir takes you inside the moment-by-moment struggle for survival:

• Space Exploration Crisis: Experience the heart-stopping moments after a mid-flight explosion crippled the spacecraft, forcing the crew into a tiny lunar module not built for their journey.
• Dual Perspective Narrative: Follow the story from two fronts--the astronauts fighting for their lives in the void and the brilliant minds at Mission Control racing against time to bring them home.
• The Human Element: Feel the tension not just in the cockpit, but on the ground as Jim Lovell's family, and the entire world, watches, waits, and hopes for a safe return.
• NASA's Finest Hour: Discover the incredible ingenuity and relentless determination that transformed a near-certain catastrophe into a legendary tale of heroism and rescue.