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Apollo 13 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Jim Lovell (Author), Jeffrey Kluger (Author), Fred Sanders (Narrator),
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An all-new recording of the landmark number one best seller!

In April 1970, during the glory days of the Apollo space program, NASA sent Navy Captain Jim Lovell and two other astronauts on America's fifth mission to the moon. Only 55 hours into the flight of Apollo 13, disaster struck: a mysterious explosion rocked the ship, and soon its oxygen and power began draining away. Written with all the color and drama of the best fiction, Apollo 13 (previously published as Lost Moon) tells the full story of the moon shot that almost ended in catastrophe. Minutes after the 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

Decades after the launch of the mission, Jim Lovell and coauthor Jeffrey Kluger offer an incisive look at America's waxing and waning love affair with space exploration during the past three decades, culminating only recently when the Apollo 13 spacecraft itself, long consigned to an aviation museum outside Paris, was at last returned to its rightful home in the United States. The story of Apollo 13 is a timeless tribute to the enduring American spirit and sparkling individual heroism.

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  1. Listening Length
    16 hours and 15 minutes
  2. Author
    Jim Lovell, see all
  3. Narrator
    Fred Sanders
  4. Audible release date
    December 10, 2019
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07SQF1VQ6
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 16 hours and 15 minutes
Author Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger
Narrator Fred Sanders
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date December 10, 2019
Publisher Simon & Schuster Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07SQF1VQ6
Best Sellers Rank #9,652 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#7 in Expeditions & Discoveries
#11 in Astronomy (Audible Books & Originals)
#17 in Expeditions & Discoveries World History (Books)

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
1,664 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the storyline excellent and the book is a must-read. They also say the book has fascinating details about the early space program and is well-written and easy to follow. Readers also say every word is true.

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ReadabilityContentStorylineReading experienceListening experience
64 customers mention "Readability"61 positive3 negative

Customers find the book well-written, with great detail and a perfect balance between technical language and common people. They also say it's written in a more third person voice, which was surprising since the book is primarily about astronauts. However, readers say it is easy to follow and grasp.

"...This book was so exciting and well written. Not a boring part. Thank goodness for the experts at mission control...." Read more

"I liked the movie Apollo 13, the book is even better with detail and the back stories of the people involved. An amazing effort." Read more

"...It reads like the narrative you would expect. The inclusion of NASA photos and diagrams were detailed and I frequently checked them...." Read more

"...It's a powerfully written, thoughtful volume written by James Lovell who lived it...." Read more

42 customers mention "Content"40 positive2 negative

Customers find the book has fascinating details about the early space program. They also say the book contains enough technical stuff to understand what's going on. Readers also say it's exciting and pushes their understanding of the flight. They find the account factual and readable.

"...This book was so exciting and well written. Not a boring part. Thank goodness for the experts at mission control...." Read more

"This is an interesting book that reads a little like the right stuff...." Read more

"...The book provides so much more detail about all aspects of NASA, the astronauts, and the complexity of space flight...." Read more

"...There is also great background information on Mr. Lovell and how he entered the astronaut program, as well as brief background info on Haise and..." Read more

36 customers mention "Storyline"36 positive0 negative

Customers find the storyline amazing, true, and interesting. They also say it's a great complement to the movie and a story of team work and leadership.

"...personal collection item that it has printed a very interesting instant of human history." Read more

"...Apollo 13, the book is even better with detail and the back stories of the people involved. An amazing effort." Read more

"...ANSWER: Yes.Authors Lovell & Kluger write a compelling, epic report of the flight, failure and survival of Apollo 13...." Read more

"...Told from the perspective of Jim Lovell, it is a true story of heroism both in space and on the ground...." Read more

27 customers mention "Reading experience"27 positive0 negative

Customers find the book amazing, entertaining, and interesting. They also say it's an excellent account that spans the 1950s to the present. Customers also say the book does a great job of putting them inside the command and that there is not a boring part.

"...This book was so exciting and well written. Not a boring part. Thank goodness for the experts at mission control...." Read more

"...such 'issues' to be of any concern for me as I read through this excellent account, that spans the 1950s to the early 1970s...." Read more

"This is worth reading even if you’ve seen the movie and know the story well...." Read more

"...you liked the movie, or enjoy reading about the space program, this book is excellent and authentic...." Read more

7 customers mention "Listening experience"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fun to listen to, engaging, and thoughtful. They also say it gives a better appreciation for the three astronauts.

"...It's a powerfully written, thoughtful volume written by James Lovell who lived it...." Read more

"...This audiobook is well articulated, slow enough she could understand what was being said without dragging along...." Read more

"...book about a key moment in space history, it's also a highly entertaining and thrilling story. Highly recommended." Read more

"...course the full, real story in the book is more complicated AND more entertaining." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Jorg R
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, a history of scientific and human achievement on adversity and crisis solving
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2024
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I have watched the movie from 1995, I did read that the film was very precise from the book and while that stands true, you can't fully absorb and understand the whole story in a 2 and a half hour screen.

This book, along its 353 pages, describes the background of the Apollo 13 crisis in detail as good as Mr. Lovell and Mr. Kluger could cover it from the astronaut's memories and the information researched. Not only covers the inside of the LEM, Odyssey and Service module, but also the stressful and hard work mission control had to endure on Earth while millions of people watched on TV at the time.

It really is a part of human history and I personally consider books like this one, an special personal collection item that it has printed a very interesting instant of human history.
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Thomas Erickson
5.0 out of 5 stars Failed mission. NASAs finest hour.Important history
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2010
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Apollo Thirteen Commemorative The 30th Anniversary by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger is great. A fast passed exciting read. Nice pictures too. I also saw Apollo Thirteen the movie. The movie was great but this book was even better.

We see Jim Lovell in his early Navy times and later as a test pilot. Lovell has an exciting and almost deadly carrier landing as he temporarily gets lost at night, his instruments get shorted out and he almost flies low into the fantail of the carrier.He gets frantically sent around for another try. Too close. Almost bought the farm.

Later we see Jim Lovell as a test pilot at Pax River. He applies to NASA to be an astronaut but is initially rejected because of a possible past medical problem. NASA wants more astronauts and Jim applies again and this time Deke Slayton the head astronaut says welcome aboard. Jim meets friends Wally Shirra, Pete Conrad and others that also become astronauts.

Also his wife Marilyn and family are shown. Very nice family. We see his Gemini flights, the around the Moon flight and later the failed Apollo 13 flight. Jim has an expensive Mink jacket on Christmas delivered to Marylin from the Man in the Moon.He also named a mountain on the moon after her. She learns her husband and the other 2 astronauts are in serious trouble on the Apollo 13 flight and only have a 10% chance on getting back.

Apollo 13s Fred Haise the LM pilot and the CM pilot Jack Sweigert have major roles in this book. All 3 played major roles in getting back. An oxygen tank explodes from shorted electrodes while getting the required mixing signal and takes out almost the entire side of the service module.The 3 astronauts see their atmosphere being vented into space and all electrical systems failing.We see the flight control teams working to save the crew,feverishly planning procedures to get them back.All the hundreds in mission control and the makers of the LM worked frantically non stop. The astronauts must use the LM as a lifeboat to keep alive and later have to power up the CM which has the heat shield for reentry. CO2 build up will kill the crew and mission control gets the crew a procedure for making a CO2 scrubber for the LM. The LM was only made for 2 people for 2 days and they got to stretch and modify what they can for 3 people for 4 days. They must power down many electric circuits and conserve power. The astronauts are very cold and later Fred Haise comes down with an infection that requires hospitalization.

This book was so exciting and well written. Not a boring part. Thank goodness for the experts at mission control. Even though the mission was a failure this shows the politicians and the world what NASA can do. This besides Apollo 11 was NASA,s greatest finest hour.

They just barley are able to get the CM back on line and jettison their temporary lifeboat LM. All are so thankful for the LM .Using the LM was their only chance for survival. If the explosion would of happened when they didn't have the LEM all three would die of asphyxiation.

I still think many of the FLIGHT controllers had huge egos but after reading Apollo 13 I see that all of mission control and FLIGHT were so important and necessary for input and procedures in manned flight. Mission control saved the Apollo 13s crew's bacon. All deserved medals and a ticker tape parade like Lovell and Sweigert got ( Haise missed his parade as he was still sick battling his infection).

I asked my kids age 16 and 19 if in any of their school classes was Apollo 13 mentioned and taught. No...nothing all the way through their school years. Also almost nothing about Apollo 11. What a shame. So important history explaining some of mankind's greatest achievements and NASAs finest hour.So much technology learned and inventions from manned space exploration. Apollo 13s crew and all members of mission control were true heroes. Its a shame that the space program spiraled down into just the shuttle and ISS. We lost the drive for a permanent lunar base and Mars manned exploration. I hope we get back on track and my kids can see it in their lifetimes.

A fantastic book. Highest rating and I will be proud to read passages to my grandchildren. 5 stars.
7 people found this helpful
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John Murtari
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Descriptions of engineering and the people involved is excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2024
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I liked the movie Apollo 13, the book is even better with detail and the back stories of the people involved. An amazing effort.
One person found this helpful
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Dan
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book! Great movie!
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is an interesting book that reads a little like the right stuff. They contains all of the TikTok of the flight and lot more of the TikTok of the waiting family at home of Jim Lovell. If you have seen the movie, prepare for a deeper dive into the technical aspects if you have not seen the movie, be sure to do so even after reading this book.
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Gryphon
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ for every admirer of the Apollo program and the astronauts in that era.
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2018
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Jame's Lovell's book is a very nice read and I enjoyed it. It's perfect for a vacation reader. I'm partial to the Apollo program because I was a young teenager at the time and followed all that I could about the Gemini and Apollo space fights. The content fills in some areas that I wasn't aware of, and in an interesting way. It reads like the narrative you would expect. The inclusion of NASA photos and diagrams were detailed and I frequently checked them. I especially appreciated the info about the crew of Apollo 1 (Grissom, White, and Chaffee), and this sensitive topic is handled respectfully; the full investigation of the cause of that terrible tragedy is well explained with enough detail that I learned all that I wanted to know. The reasons for why 100% cabin oxygen was used, the changes that occur in cabin pressures during flight are explained, and the interesting developments for the command module and LEM are very described very well. Lovell comments on the misinformation in Tom Hank's Apollo 13 movie (not Tom Hank's fault). I never felt that the movie spoiled my enjoyment of this book. His years as a test pilot and what he went through to become an astronaut candidate is fascinating. He reviews some of the political stuff going on at the time that had effects on NASA. I passed this book on to a relative who is a professor of engineering at a major "Engine School" in the US, and he has enjoyed reading this book even though he already knows a lot this information already. Though other reviewers have had criticisms, I did not find such 'issues' to be of any concern for me as I read through this excellent account, that spans the 1950s to the early 1970s. It was an amazing era to live in, and I felt right at home with the material Lovell covered. When the chronological order of events are set aside for deeper subject coverage, it never felt disjointed; when the narrative recovers to where the timeline was temporarily set aside, it is almost seamless (for me).
11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Todo lo que se hizo para regresar la nave a la Tierra
Reviewed in Mexico on February 23, 2023
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El liderazgo de los responsables del vuelo, la determinación de los astronautas por regresar a la Tierra y la información técnica que permite al lector imaginarse todo lo que significa un vuelo espacial
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Akhil Govind
5.0 out of 5 stars Un-putdownable
Reviewed in India on August 11, 2023
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About the Story
Growing up as a child, seeing the moon, the only GK I knew about it was "Neil Armstrong"
Only after watching the movie did I read up about Apollo 13.
I've watched the movie multiple times over the years, read the wiki articles on the Apollo program; and was intrigued to read more in depth first hand.
To give you an idea of how much un-putdownable this book has been, consider this - I started reading on a Monday evening, after work and finished the book on Friday afternoon, while going through my routine day where I would have 2-3 hours of leisure to read.
About the Book Quality
I purchased the second-hand book sold by Booklovers Delight.
The book was in good shape, as would be expected for a 25+ year old copy - all bound properly and no damage seen
Going to come back to them and check for more second hand books that I would want.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Livre passionnant
Reviewed in France on September 3, 2022
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Excellent livre, très bien écrit, qui permet de mieux connaître ce sauvetage spatial que l'excellent film de Ron Howard a fait découvrir au monde. Par contre, la version filmée est simplifiée et le livre nous montre davantage toute la complexité de l'énorme défi que représentait le retour des astronautes sur Terre.
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True Inspirator
5.0 out of 5 stars I really liked Jeffrey Kluger writing style. Here's why...
Reviewed in Canada on November 2, 2020
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I was 13 years old (quite the coincidence) when Apollo 13 experienced problems on its way to the Moon. Like so many young dreamers, I was riveted to the TV screen. Many years later, I watched the Apollo 13 movie directed by Ron Howard. Quite the adaptation and technical accomplishment, indeed. I was hesitant to buy this book, wondering if I would learn more than I knew already. A whole lot, actually, as it is quite different from the movie. I don't regret my purchase! I really liked Jeffrey Kluger writing style and Jim Lovell's insight. It is written like a novel about factual events. The book makes you feel as if you were stranded in the command module or the LM. You can "feel" the interactions of thousands of people in mission control working day-in day-out to bring them back home. This is a well-balanced book, i.e. not over stretching the story or plunging too much in the details or skipping over important moments of this memorable mission. This is time well spent.
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Wellington
5.0 out of 5 stars Fanstástico!
Reviewed in Brazil on September 7, 2019
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Comprei este livro para me aprofundar na história da qual sou fã desde que vi o filme com o Tom Hanks. E puxa vida, como o livro supera qualquer expectativa que eu tinha sobre a saga da Apollo 13...
O livro te entrega uma história muito mais rica que o filme (que já é magnífico neste aspecto).

Eu poderia ficar falando sobre todos os pontos positivos do livro aqui, mas julgo eu, que seria melhor apenas lhe dizer que ele é riquissímo em detalhes, e que a forma como ele conta a história te prende, que você não faz idéia de como a Apollo 13 levou os engenheiros da NASA e aos Astronautas ao limite. Limite da inteligência para conseguir resolver os problemas e se antecipar a eles, e trazer os Astronautas de volta para casa vivos. Limite do equipamento, do que se pode extrair dele, do que ele pode fazer e não do que ele foi projetado para fazer, dá até inveja das nossas ganbiarras, os caras são os Reis da ganbiarra! E quando lê, é ainda mais impressionante como eles conseguiram fazer tudo isso e trazer os astronautas de volta para casa! Mas engana-se quem pensa que só os engenheiros tem méritos aqui, eu fiquei maravilhado com os astronautas, extremamente inteligentes, conhecedores da engenharia, da matemática e principalmente do equipamento que os levaria a lua (nave) tanto ou até melhor que os engenheiros da NASA. Eles não estavam ali apenas para serem a cara do programa espacial, o programa espacial não teria chegado a Lua sem a ajuda e suporte técnico provido por eles. É uma leitura que vale cada segundo dedicada a ela! Você que tem gosto pelo assunto não vai se arrepender!

E faltou falar, para quem não tem inglês fluente e tal, vai sem medo, por mais que o livro aborde as tecnicalidades da coisa, não é de difícil compreensão. Mesmo quando eu não entendia a palavra ou giria técnica, nunca foi difícil entender o contexto da coisa. E nada que um tradutor on-line não de conta. Mas eu, que não tenho uma fluência alta, não tive problemas para compreender e aproveitar cada paragrafo desta obra maravilhosa!
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Wellington
5.0 out of 5 stars Fanstástico!
Reviewed in Brazil on September 7, 2019
Comprei este livro para me aprofundar na história da qual sou fã desde que vi o filme com o Tom Hanks. E puxa vida, como o livro supera qualquer expectativa que eu tinha sobre a saga da Apollo 13...
O livro te entrega uma história muito mais rica que o filme (que já é magnífico neste aspecto).

Eu poderia ficar falando sobre todos os pontos positivos do livro aqui, mas julgo eu, que seria melhor apenas lhe dizer que ele é riquissímo em detalhes, e que a forma como ele conta a história te prende, que você não faz idéia de como a Apollo 13 levou os engenheiros da NASA e aos Astronautas ao limite. Limite da inteligência para conseguir resolver os problemas e se antecipar a eles, e trazer os Astronautas de volta para casa vivos. Limite do equipamento, do que se pode extrair dele, do que ele pode fazer e não do que ele foi projetado para fazer, dá até inveja das nossas ganbiarras, os caras são os Reis da ganbiarra! E quando lê, é ainda mais impressionante como eles conseguiram fazer tudo isso e trazer os astronautas de volta para casa! Mas engana-se quem pensa que só os engenheiros tem méritos aqui, eu fiquei maravilhado com os astronautas, extremamente inteligentes, conhecedores da engenharia, da matemática e principalmente do equipamento que os levaria a lua (nave) tanto ou até melhor que os engenheiros da NASA. Eles não estavam ali apenas para serem a cara do programa espacial, o programa espacial não teria chegado a Lua sem a ajuda e suporte técnico provido por eles. É uma leitura que vale cada segundo dedicada a ela! Você que tem gosto pelo assunto não vai se arrepender!

E faltou falar, para quem não tem inglês fluente e tal, vai sem medo, por mais que o livro aborde as tecnicalidades da coisa, não é de difícil compreensão. Mesmo quando eu não entendia a palavra ou giria técnica, nunca foi difícil entender o contexto da coisa. E nada que um tradutor on-line não de conta. Mas eu, que não tenho uma fluência alta, não tive problemas para compreender e aproveitar cada paragrafo desta obra maravilhosa!
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