A generation of Americans watched the adventures of astronauts in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs, including the moment in 1969 when Neil Armstrong first stood on the moon as part of Apollo 11. But it took years of trial and error for NASA to achieve this feat. Kluger (senior editor, Time) applies his impressive narrative skills to describe in detail how the Apollo 8 mission achieved its goal of being the first to travel to the moon and return safely to Earth in December 1968. Kluger's tale is sprightly written and profiles members of the crew such as Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders as they carried out their arduous training schedule to meet a launch date that took place only a few weeks after Apollo 7 had concluded. VERDICT An excellent book told with spirit and verve and enough spaceflight details to satisfy even the most dedicated student of the program. [Prepub Alert, 11/1/16.]—Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames