Apollo 13

The best-selling book that inspired the blockbuster movie

"A story of courage — in space, at NASA, and at the homes of those involved." — Houston Chronicle

A timeless tribute to the enduring American spirit, Apollo 13 tells the story of America's fifth mission to the moon, a mission that nearly ended in catastrophe in April 1970. Only fifty-five hours into the flight, disaster struck for Jim Lovell and two other astronauts after an explosion left them with a rapidly declining supply of oxygen and power. Lovell and Kluger vividly chronicle how the men were forced to abandon the main ship for the lunar module, a tiny craft designed to keep two men alive for only two days. At home, a nation watched the desperate efforts of Mission Control to bring the crew back in what many consider NASA's finest hour.

“A thrilling story of a thrilling episode in the history of space exploration.” — James A. Michener, author of Space

"Puts the reader in one of those [Apollo] slingshots, pulls, and lets go. What a moon shot. What a time. What a ride." — Baltimore Sun

“A tale of adventure to chill a reader’s spine.” — Atlantic Monthly

Jim Lovell joined NASA in 1962 and flew a total of four missions before retiring in 1973. He continues to lecture across the country, speaking about space exploration.

Jeffrey Kluger is a senior writer at Time and the author of several other books, including Splendid Solution: Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine.

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Recounts the four-day ordeal of Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert and the dramatic struggle to bring back to Earth the tiny lunar module spacecraft into which they were forced to retreat when their main ship was damaged. Reprint.