Customer Reviews

Genesis: The Story Of Apollo 8

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I enjoyed Mr. Zimmerman's "Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8" very much. I feel it is a first rate historical book. It was well written, was easy to read and comprehend, and even more so, interesting to read. I learned more about this particular mission then I ever knew before, and rightly so. The vast majority of Americans, during this era, never really knew who these men were and in a way, still don't. Only through writers like Mr. Zimmerman, can readers learn more in depth details about these men, what the endured and even more so, what their wives and children endured.

This insight, the lives of these particular astronauts and their families, was especially interesting to me.

I am old enough, 46 to be exact, to barely remember the beginning of the space program. I was too young to comprehend at the time why it was happening, but I remember. I remember President Kennedy's speech about landing a man on the moon and returning said man to the earth before the decade was over. That speech was given in 1961.

For those of us who are old enough to remember this era, this book will certainly bring back memories and allow the reader to learn more than that person knew at the time it was all happening. For those readers whom were born after this period, this book should give them some historical insight to this era and especially to this particular mission.

Before I composed this review, I first read what the other reviewers had to say. I feel the person who gave Mr. Zimmerman a two star rating, was being too critical. He stated that half the book was about the flight and the other half was about the "Cold War" and religious insights of the astronauts. I'm sorry this person felt this way, because if it had not been for the "Cold War", I am not so sure that any human being from earth would have walked on the moon even as early as 1969. The "Cold War", which of course was between the soviet Union and the United States, drove the space race as Mr. Zimmerman described it. The "Cold War" issues, which really were not half of the book, had to be a part of his book. Read "Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon", co-written by Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton, two of the original seven astronauts. It also has "Cold War" issues interwoven into the story.

As for the religious insights of the three astronauts, remember, this book is about these three men. However religious each man was, that aspect also needed to be a part of his book. I certainly did not feel that these religious insights dimished the story in any manner. After all, the title of the book, "Genesis", is also the first book in the bible. This mission was also a first. The first time that man had broken the grasp of earth's gravitational pull, and was to circle another heavenly body. These three men, were risking their lives to do what no man had ever done before. Therefore I feel it was appropriate that those passages read from "Genesis" by each man had significant meaning and in fact, maybe what the mission was all about.

Apollo 8 was, in my opinion, the most audacious spaceflight ever achieved, possibly even more significant than the first moon landing itself. Apollo 8 was a flight full of firsts: it was the first flight to send astronauts away from the earth's influence, the first to send men to another world, and it was the first time human beings saw the earth as a whole with their own eyes. In a market full of Apollo books, this flight was long overdue for a book-length account of its own, and the task was finally done with Robert Zimmerman's book, thirty years after the flight.

I own both the hardcover and paperback versions, and I recommend the hardback for those willing to spend the extra money. The hardcover presents a number of illustrations not found in the paperback, including several color photos (compared to the paperback's photo section, which is entirely black and white). And Zimmerman's attention to detail regarding several of the photo descriptions is quite commendable.

The author does a thorough job helping to solve the mystery of just who took the "earthrise" photo, which has become one of the most famous images in the history of photography. For years the astronauts treated the question with a certain aloofness, as if the question should remain unanswered. Until this book, the photo had been left credited vaguely if at all. Indeed, even Andrew Chaikin's lauded "A Man on the Moon" devotes less than a page to this subject and leaves the question (i.e. Why have both Borman and Anders claimed credit over the years?) hanging in the ether. Here, Zimmerman pieces together the sequence of events and details that leave no doubt as to the origins of the two most particular earthrise photos. No book-length account of Apollo 8 would be complete if this was overlooked, and it makes the book worthwhile almost by itself.

Shortly afterward, Zimmerman addresses the subject which gives the book its title: the Christmas Eve reading by the crew, in lunar orbit, from the bible's Book of Genesis. He recounts Frank Borman's dilemma in searching for a Christmas message appropriate for a worldwide audience, while also capturing the significance of the flight's achievement. The fact that these men chose to read words from the bible, completely unbeknownst to NASA, is an ultimate expression of free will during one of the most important events in human history. Even though the author occasionally gets carried away while advocating religious freedom elsewhere in the book, his description here is one of the book's key moments.

The book has some flaws, and often it's when Zimmerman seeks to provide context outside of the mission. He uses the divided Berlin as a backdrop for the Cold War in the 1960s, so Apollo 8 finally becomes a symbol of freedom in contrast to the walls that communism built around itself. The comparison makes sense, but Zimmerman returns to Berlin again and again, when I felt the point was already made.

Another story tells of a U.S. Air Force helicopter pilot during the Vietnam war who eventually becomes a space shuttle astronaut. His story would make a nice magazine article, but honestly, I can't recall that it has anything at all to do with Apollo 8.

And there simply isn't enough coverage of important pre-launch and post-splashdown activities, which is inexcusable. In fact, more detail should have been provided about other technical aspects of the flight, as well. The entire sequence between liftoff and earth orbit, for example, is summed up in only two pages. There's just too much time spent establishing context and significance with not enough care devoted to the entire flight. I'm sure Zimmerman's motivation was to create a very readable account of the flight for a general audience, which it is, indeed. But the result is a less authoritative work than it could have been.

Zimmerman's book fills a major void, and it's a defining work on this historic spaceflight by default, because it is the only account of its kind. It's worth reading, even if hardcore aficionados will be left wanting.

Science writer Robert Zimmerman's first book is an engaging examination of a long overlooked space mission -- Apoll 8 -- and its role in both the race to the moon and international politics. At first, the book starts off slowly and seems like a serious spin on Tom Wolf's bestseller "The Right Stuff." It's when we get to the role of the space race in international politics that the author's writing takes on a passionate fervor. Though some may wish to deny the important role of space exploration for then superpowers Soviet Union and USA, Zimmerman's argument is compelling. It is a shame that the argument was not formulated up front, though this was undoubtedly a calculated ploy on the author's and publisher's behalf to make the book more appealing to a broader spectrum of readership. This book will interest anyone with a penchant for history, politics, exploration and/or the space program and is a valuable addition to works examining the turbulent 1960's and the space program's role within the Soviet Union, the USA, and -- ultimately -- the world.

This book was written for the student of history by a student of history. If you have read other accounts of the Apollo program but longed for more detail about this specific flight, you will love this book. Mr. Zimmerman does an excellent job of putting Apollo 8 in its historical context.

Just about every American alive in 1968 must remember sitting before the television set on Christmas Eve, watching an eerie wedge of the lunar surface slip past as the Apollo 8 astronauts read the first few verses of Genesis.

Apollo 8 may be the riskiest but most dramatic space flight ever undertaken. The first manned flight of a Saturn V, it would go to the moon without the backup of a lunar module and count on flight hardware tested only once before returning to earth and entering the atmosphere at an unprecedented 25,000 miles per hour.

Zimmerman expands the story of Apollo 8 to book length by providing an extensive background to the mission, focusing on the politics and current events of the time and the stories of the astronauts. He appears to have a fascination with the depredations of the Soviet Union, particularly the Berlin Wall. He also spends a surprising amount of verbage discussing the astronauts' religious beliefs and choice of churches. This perhaps provides background to the choice of reading matter on that historic Christmas Eve, which he also goes into significant detail on, explaining how the astronauts decided what to do.

There's some annoying sloppiness in the book, phrases which are more impressive than accurate: The Saturn V would in fact fit inside a football stadium since even though it's slightly taller than a regulation football field is long; most stadiums I've seen have extra space beyond the end zones. And it's an overstatement to say that "To everyone on earth, ... [the] Apollo command module had now been reduced to three trebly voices on the radio," since the spacecraft could still be tracked both visually or with a radio telescope. He also seems to claim that Apollo 8 was the climax of the space program and that interest waned thereafter, somehow forgetting the billions who watched and listened to Apollo 11.

He relates the controversy (led by Madalyn Murray O'Hare) over the reading of Genesis and comes squarely down on the side of the astronauts, to the point of expressing irritation about Aldrin's subsequent inability to mention giving himself communion after landing on the moon on Apollo 11.

He settles a few arguments, including who took the classic "Earthrise" picture. (It had to be Anders, who had the color camera. Borman took a similar one and claims he took the famous one but apparently didn't realize he had the black-and-white camera at the time.)

Overall, it's a good if not great book, best when it's expanding on the mission, less significant when it's trying to interpret history.

The book Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8 is a great summary of the Apollo 8 mission. The book is written by Robert Zimmerman who is known for his books on the other Apollo missions.
Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8 is a great book that tells about this important mission. It goes into an enormous detail of the mission of Apollo 8 even if it was only three days long. "Genesis" also tells the background of the three brave astronauts who went on the Apollo 8 mission. It also tells the problems during the troubled decade of the 1960s and its results on NASAs space flight program.
The author also tells of the space race before the Apollo 8 mission. It talks about how the Dictator Khrushchev was beating the USA in the Space Race before Apollo 8. It also tells about the importance of Apollo 8 to the Space Race. It also includes the things happening in the U.S.A. that changed the flight plan of Apollo 8 and any other future space programs.
Robert Zimmerman also had a great way to back and forth in between the astronauts' actions and other outside information. The book also talks about the previous experiences of Jim Lovell, Bill Anders, and Frank Borman such as their degrees and childhood. Mr. Zimmerman also goes into what their families are like as well as what they do after the Apollo 8 mission. He also goes into great detail about the families' lives during the nerve-wracking 3 days.
The author has a bibliography with credible primary sources. Since he goes into great detail about both sides he is less biased. Mr. Zimmerman also uses words that are not favoring one side or the other. He also talks about the talks of the drawbacks of the Soviets as well as their advantages.
If you like this book then you should also try other books on the Apollo mission. Robert Zimmerman also has other great books including The Universe in a Mirror: The Saga of Hubble Space Telescope and the Visionaries Who Built It. It is also recommended that you read other books on Apollo 8.

there was a long line of missions into space. Robert Zimmerman's "Genesis" is a history and science lesson of how the space race came into being, as well as the backgrounds of some of the major players.

Apollo 8 was the first mission out of Earth orbit, and Zimmerman gives us the background leading up to the mission, and includes the political and related matters leading up to it. The Zond series sent up by the Soviets is given a look, though I wonder how many would remember them.

There are good mini-bios of Anders, Bormann and Lovell; all in all, a fast, but informative read of the times once lived in.

I have read almost everything I could get my hands on concerning the Apollo program. Just when I thought I had read it all Robert Zimmerman provides a great new insight into the daring Apollo Eight flight. The significance of this mission is brought to light in this informative book. Not too technical so as to appeal to a wide variety. Blend of significant historical info of the time is interesting. Take it from a space buff, It's a worthy read.

I was delighted to see a book written on the flight of Apollo 8. Zimmerman's title is dead-on. In the midst of the cold-war, and man's greatest technological achievement, God steals the show. As Frank Borman once said, "the Genesis reading wasn't something that was hap-hazard, but God ordained." I only wish Zimmerman could have focused more on the profoundness and the timing of the reading (ie. Christmas Eve), and how it changed lives (including some Controllers). The highlight of the Apollo program came not with "One small step for man" but "In the beginning, God.."

I write this review on December 21, 2008, which is the exact 40th anniversary of the historic flight of Apollo 8.

Complaints about this book promoting American triumphalism are the exact opposite of what this book is actually about. It was the Soviets who were first with Sputnik, first with Gagarin in space, and first in many other ways. They spared no efforts to convince the world that their successes were proofs of the overall superiority of Communism to capitalism. The US simply responded with her own eventual successes--along with a propaganda counterpunch.

Nor is Zimmerman trying to promote religion. When citing the readings from GENESIS, he leaves the existence of God an open question. (p. XII). What he does object to, however, is the rejection of the spiritual magnificence of the universe according to the Soviet system of thinking.

Zimmerman suggests that the famous "Earthrise" photo from Apollo 8 triggered the environmental movement. However, his graph shows that the exponential increase in laws protecting the environment actually began in 1964 (p. 275), which was four years before this historic flight.

This book intersperses events on Apollo 8 with other events in the 1960's. There are also "flashbacks" to earlier events and earlier space flights. Interestingly, Susan Borman reportedly had serious doubts about the Apollo 8 crew coming home alive, and her doubts about NASA first erupted after the tragic and easily-avoidable launch-pad fire of Apollo 1.

The book often puts things in perspective. This includes the power and speed of the rockets, and the distance covered in space in the few minutes that the astronauts were observing and photographing the Earth.

So, forty years have passed since my 14 year-old space-nut self had thrilled in this flight. Unbelievable!