Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon

A wonderfully grounded story about space travel, this book frames the first manned trip to the moon perfectly within its historical context — the tumult of 1968 and the breakneck pace of the Space Race within the broader Cold War. Kurson weaves a thrilling storyline in and out of enough backstory to make the reader emotionally invested in the astronauts, their NASA ground crew, and their families.

It's a story of hope and awe in the midst of social turmoil not unlike our present times.