By August 1968, the American space program was in danger of failing in its two most important objectives: to land a man on the moon by President Kennedy's end-of-decade deadline, and to surpass the Soviets in space. With its back against the wall, NASA made an almost unimaginable leap, sending the first men to the moon—in just four months. In a year of historic violence and discord, the Apollo 8 mission would be the boldest, riskiest test of America's greatness under pressure. In this gripping account, Robert Kurson provides context for this watershed moment, and puts the focus on the three astronauts: Frank Borman, a conflicted man on his final mission; Jim Lovell, who'd dreamed since boyhood of going to the moon; and Bill Anders, a hotshot fighter pilot.