posted 08-22-2018 02:24 AM               

Reflections from the surviving Apollo astronauts — who are now in their nineties — on the lessons they gleaned from their lives on earth and beyond.

The 24 men who went to the Moon are a part of history's most exclusive club. By the time NASA screened them, they were already the Top Guns of their generation; most of them test pilots who helped fine tune America's first supersonic aircraft. They had to be self-confident, but not arrogant, brave, but not reckless, independent but trusting of authority. As a result, no group of pre-selected (alpha) males had ever been more tested, poked, prodded, interviewed and psychoanalyzed. And on their space missions, their extraterrestrial view of earth from the moon changed them and changed the world. Today there are twelve remaining Apollo astronauts who went to the moon between 1968 and 1972. Now approaching their nineties, these lunar explorers have amassed a wealth of empowering lessons and philosophies they have learned during their lives on earth and beyond.

In The Mission of a Lifetime, author Basil Hero has tirelessly interviewed these astronauts (and their wives) on how their wisdom and outlook on life has been forged by their voyages, and what they hope for generations to come. From conquering fear to living boldly, defining success to pushing boundaries, these astronauts offer the kind of life-reflections generated by the accumulated wisdom of their emeritus years. The Mission of a Lifetime is a timely reminder to keep pushing the boundaries (as these astronauts did) and always, always live life with a fierce optimism, and faith, that like the Moonshot, any goal — no matter the odds — is as achievable as your resolve to see it through.

• Hardcover: 304 pages
  
• Grand Central Publishing (April 2, 2019)
  
• ISBN-10: 1538748517
  
• ISBN-13: 978-1538748510

posted 08-09-2021 08:34 AM            

There are definitely some interesting perspectives from the astronauts that were interviewed - many late in their lives whom have now passed away (Mitchell, Cernan, Young, Bean, Worden, Collins). I found the passages which dealt with their feelings upon seeing Earth from the vicinity of the moon (as opposed to from Earth orbit) especially compelling.

However the book is significantly flawed with respect to many historical facts (e.g. the shuttles that were lost were Challenger and Discovery, pg 187) that easily could have been fact checked.