Customer Reviews

Thirteen: The Apollo Flight That Failed

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the Apollo 13 story almost exclusively from the Mission Control perspective. It very thorougly and completely details what went on in Houston from the moment of the "accident" to the recovery of the astronauts. This book helped me to understand how critical Mission Control is to space flights, how the astronauts are not necessarily piloting their spacecraft but that it is a joint effort. I was surpised by many facts given here such as that Mission Control had more information about the status of the spacecraft than the astronauts themselves. The author does an outstanding job of expalining the technicalities of what happened and why without making you feel like a dummy.

Through the lens of 25 years, it is very interesting to read this account and feel some of the respect and almost naivete the author and the public felt for NASA and the government at large that has long since been lost. I also enjoyed how the book was divided into three sections "Out" "Around" "Home".

I did feel the book suffered from its narrow focus on Mission Control only during the duration of the "event," and no pictures -- none and only one line diagram. These are small complaints, however. The book makes a wonderful companion to Jim Lovell's account.

The first detailed account of the Apollo 13 accident (this book originally came out in the early 70's) and one of the best (second only to Lovell's "Lost Moon"). Cooper tells the entire mission story and uses many of the Mission Control transcripts that (in my opinion) are the difference between a third person telling of a mission story or a feeling of actually being there. This book has been re-printed, so it's availability isn't an issue. Read this along with Lost Moon and you'll see the blatant errors in the movie "Apollo 13". Highly recommended.

I too found this book as a child in the public library some years ago and have remembered it always. In gripping and understandable detail, Cooper successfully recounts how close we came to a space disaster and how the entire NASA team managed to avoid it. Richly textured narrative that allows you to understand how space flights were run and controlled without drowning in minutia.

I've never been able to forget this book. I still remember the feeling that a vast and incredible secret was shared with me. For years, I was the only one who knew anything about the Apollo 13 mission and could recite the details I learned from the book. I knew the astronauts, controllers, and personalities. Watching the movie brought all of that back and confirmed what I knew. This was a compelling and incredible story. A must read for anyone even mildly interested in the Apollo 13 story.

As a boy, I found this book in the public library and read all about the ill-fated Apollo 13 spaceflight of April 1970. I had lived through the experience as an 11-year-old, and I remembered the drama of the real-life explosion aboard the Apollo spacecraft as it made its way to the moon. But it was not until I read this remarkable story, that I gained true insights into what had happened and how NASA flight crews and engineers were able to bring the crippled ship home safely. I read this book about 20 times as a kid, finding it again in the libary and checking it out regularly. I loved it so much that I always checked for it in used bookstores, because it went out of print quickly. Author Henry S.F. Cooper is a gifted science writer, making complex matters simple and understandable, yet he never underexplained what was happening. I finally located it in the summer of 1991, in a used book store in Cooperstown, N.Y., while on a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Remarkably, I had stumbled into a bookshop in the very town where Henry S.F. Cooper's family lived, and the store had used copies of several of his science books. I bought one of each, including my beloved hardback copy of ''13: The Flight That Failed'' (that was the original title). I still re-read it from time to time, with the same awe and love that I have had for it since I was little. The film, ''Apollo 13,'' was a fine film narrative, but Cooper's classic book should not be missed. Give it to a 10-year-old you love. :)

A short anecdote:

After reading "A Man on the Moon" by the great A. Chaikin (space author, god-like genius) I developed a ravenous hunger for any reading material relating to the early space program (and Apollo in general). So when I saw this old book, "13: the flight that failed", in my school's library, I HAD to read it!

I was not disappointed. Mr. Cooper's book is THE story of Apollo 13.

I appreciate the fact that Jim Lovell's book "Lost Moon" was written as a first hand account but it seems a little mishandled (most likely Kluger's influence) and didn't live up to it's full potential. Furthermore, It is more of a biography of Jim Lovell. "13: the flight that failed" sums it all up nicely in a gripping yet thoughtful manner.

btw: "A House in Space" (i think by Cooper also but i'm not sure) is a great story of the Skylab space station

Originally written in the 1970s, Cooper's book details how flight controllers were able to save the crew of Apollo 13. It brings to life the people of the movie Apollo 13. Highly Recommended! An excellent companion to Jim Lovell's book Lost Moon.

Great book I have read it and reread it a few times. Great story of Apollo 13 I could not find my copy so I ordered a new one. Only thing missing is there are no photos of the flight and the people it's about. for that I give it only 4 out of 5 stars.