The Mission of a Lifetime Lib/E: Lessons from the Men Who Went to the Moon

by Basil Hero, Dan Woren (Reader)

Former award-winning investigative reporter Basil Hero chronicles the lives and lessons of the twelve remaining Apollo astronauts. Only twenty-four human beings have travelled to the Moon. Theirs were the most daring voyages in mankind's history and their view of Earth from the moon changed them and the way we see our home planet. Now in their emeritus years, the twelve remaining lunar explorers for the first time reveal the true source of courage, leadership, and the quiet patriotism that it took to accomplish their missions. Their voyages to the Moon led them to the most incredible discovery of our home planet and its precious place in the universe. The Eagles, as author Basil Hero calls them, fear for Earth's future and offer sensible solutions to its mounting crises and the path to future space exploration. In The Mission Of A Lifetime , the Eagles share their wisdom and urge us to reframe our view of Earth to no identifiable nations, borders, or races; just Earthlings working together as a collective civilization. Hero begins each chapter with key life lessons that readers can gain from these honorable men-from overcoming fear to finding gratitude and practicing humility in all that you do.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Space, Science, Ebooks

Audio CD

Published April 2, 2019

Reviews

[Nick Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been fascinated with space travel and the lives of the very short list of people who have set foot on the moon. This was a quick read that gave some really interesting perspective on this topic - where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

[Marian Bron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. A book that brings the moon into our hands and reminds all earthlings of their duty to be good stewards of the creation we’ve been given. It’s not about the science behind the moon landings and orbits but instead about the heart of the expeditions. Basil Hero draws from personal interviews of the astronauts and some of their earlier publications, as well as others involved.
Marriage, life after NASA, faith, and humanity’s expectations are all topics he covers. Throughout there is a strong emphasis on environment and what we as earthlings, not humans divided by borders and ideologies, must do to be good stewards of the moon’s resources. Some of the statistics Hero lists on the commodities the moon can provide are mind blowing. I was especially touched by what the wives put up with while their husbands were off being heroes.
Well-written and absorbing, The Mission of a Lifetime is a must read. Thank you Goodreads for the advanced copy.

[Nancy Motto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very profound and thought provoking book.

[Ed Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mission of a Lifetime
Basil Hero

This is an amazing book, about some of our finest people — the surviving astronauts who landed on the moon, and the life lessons they’ve learned. The book isn’t particularly well organized or flawlessly written, but the author handles it perfectly — having scored interviews with these guys by convincing them to talk to him, he just listens, reports and gets out of the way. The astronauts are just inspiring in every way, best summarized by Jim Lovell’s incredible quote: “We don’t go to heaven when we die. We go to heaven when we’re born.” There’s another remarkable story about Frank Borman, the archetype of a hard ass, who visits a church when his wife gets ill, because he wants someplace near her care center which is far from his normal church. The pastor grills him about his thoughts about women priests, homosexuality and other hot button topics and Borman responds with exactly none of the hard right views one might expect — I have no problem with women priests, gays should be treated like everyone else, etc. The pastor tells him that perhaps he’d be more comfortable at another church, to which Borman replies, “yes, I would prefer a Christian church” or something to that effect. Every one of these guys, even the ones who kinda went off the deep end, are admirable, decent, deeply humane people. I just loved this book.

Grade: A

[Robert Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I am one of the lucky ones. I grew up during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. These brave men were true heroes. Now Basil Hero has written a book that is like sitting in a room with these living heroes and hearing them speak. There are many great books on all aspects of the moon mission but occasionally the flesh and blood of the men are lost to the science. Now we here these humble men speak in this book about how going to the moon changed the, how they view our future in space, and so much more. I loved this book for giving us a chance to hear the men that I watched on tv and have read about. I loved the last chapter “ The noblest journey of all.” What a wonderful summation. I have an entirely new appreciation for Frank Borman. I also have a renewed empathy for the really heroes, the astronauts wives. In many ways the moon mission was most hard on them. Mr. Hero has an engaging and lyrical way of writing that made me want to slow down and enjoy this journey through his wonderful book. It will make a wonderful gift for anyone that loves our space program and wants to know more. Well done, Mr. Hero.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basil Hero has written a book about Apollo from a new perspective: not the details of the hardware and missions, but the lessons that the astronauts' experiences and thoughts can teach all of us half a century later. The men who voyaged to the Moon observed a small and fragile Earth that contained no visible borders and, after their return to Earth, called for people of all nations and races to protect such a fragile home in accordance with this view. The astronauts also displayed moral courage by serving a cause greater than themselves, even if it presented a risk to their lives. These are just two lessons that Hero believes all citizens of planet Earth should take away from the astronauts. He writes very well and clearly has an enthusiasm for his topic.

[William Burrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal portrait of humankind's precious and endangered incubator and of the dedicated, courageous and soulful lunar explorers who created that portrait. A must read for all Earthlings.

William E. Burrows. Aerospace historian and author of This New Ocean.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read based on interviews with the 12 surviving (of 24) astronauts who orbited or walked on the moon. Thoughts about how the experience changed their world view and discussion of their thoughts on the future of space travel and of our planet.

[Bob Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of these men, but more importantly the values they lived by. How the lunar mission changed each of them was particularly interesting.

[Rage · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love space, and I love the Apollo missions, so I was always going to like this book. That being said, it somehow managed to make me like it less than I should have, which isn't promising. There are some interesting stories and takeaways, and of course the stars of the show remain the people themselves - from the bravery of the astronauts to the engineers who put them on the moon, and even (a chapter I was particularly appreciative of) the wives who had to suffer through the single-minded focus of their husbands. Just having those stories in any book is enough to make it a compelling read. But the author manages to flounce it with his weird - as I read in a different review of this book - Jeff Bezos fanboy chapter and general hero worship of Bezos at the end. Seriously, what was that about? It reads like Bezos sponsored the production of this book. Also, at the end of the day both the author as well as the people he's writing about come from a very specific (read: white middle class American) background and so all of the usual American exceptionalism is in there, which made it a lot harder for me to read. And finally, the little boxes of 'life lessons' at the bottom are just. Mm. Seriously off-putting, as if this is some sort of a self-help motivational book rather than letting the readers draw their own conclusions.

Pretty sure there are better books about Apollo out there - Carrying the Fire, for example, which is also mentioned in this one.

[Angela Go · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volumes of books have been written about the American experience of space exploration and, especially the mission to land a man on the moon.

Short of autobiographies, less has been written about the experiences of the moon landers, 24 astronauts nicknamed the "Eagles" by author Basil Hero. Hero sets out to interview the dozen of living astronauts of the Apollo era, beginning with Bill Anders, the Apollo 8 lunar module pilot and a member of the only complete living Apollo mission crew.

Anders, who took the iconic "Earthrise" photo during Apollo 8, introduces Hero to Frank Borman, also of Apollo 8. And Borman leads Hero to Jim Lovell, the third member of the Apollo 8 crew.

Hero interviews these three astronauts as well as six of the nine still-living Apollo astronauts. He also combs through notes left by others, writing chapters on the "Eagles" philosophy on conquering fear, leadership and doing the impossible, all key to succeeding in the moon missions. Hero also touches on the astronauts' view of life on Earth from space, God and faith (noting that some men lost theirs through the experiences) as well as their thoughts on the future of space travel. Fortunately, Hero doesn't neglect the Apollo wives, focusing one chapter on the women and their own bravery which exceeded their husbands'. Interviews with Valerie Anders, Dotty Duke and Marilyn Lovell highlight the strain on marriages and NASA's complete disregard for the families of the astronauts, something that Borman eventually blasts NASA for doing.

I recommend this book for those intrigued by the race to moon in the 1960s and the men who went there.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read with unique insights into the lives and viewpoints of America’s spacefaring heroes. Growing up several decades after these historic space launches, the book offers a peek at what life was like, and how far things have come (and on the flip side, how things also haven’t changed all that much) in the years since our first trips to the moon. As someone who hasn’t followed details of all the missions in any great detail, some of the specifics were lost on me, referring back and forth between crew members and missions. While the perspectives shared are fascinating, there is more than a bit of sadness as well.

By the end of the book, instead of wrapping up the historical perspectives and lessons of America’s icons, the book dove into commentary on Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, which felt awkward and out of place, quickly losing my interest. For a book about the timeless lessons from astronauts, throwing current advancements (that are already becoming quickly outdated) was a mis-step in my opinion.

An interesting time capsule - looking forward to the next perspectives from the next, more diverse generation of space faring men and women!

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can earthbound humanity learn from the brave astronauts who walked on the moon? Interviews with twelve of those twenty-four lunar explorers provide readers with the answers and some valuable insights as they consider the true essence of their missions rather than the science of space exploration. Beginning with their selection for the missions, they talk about being humble, decisive, and brave. They talk about conquering fear, staying calm and focused, and having a backup plan. They talk about our future in space and provide readers with a unique look at the Apollo program.

And the view of Earth from space . . . a planet without borders, nations, or races . . . encourages us to work together for the good of our home planet.

Also included are intriguing interviews with some of the wives, leadership lessons, a short biography of each of the twenty-four moon walkers, and notes on each chapter.

Highly recommended.

[Jessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read several historical and historical dramatization accounts of the Apollo missions and the astronauts who piloted them. This book was a slightly different take as it gave more of an antidotal approach to the content. I enjoyed taking a deeper look into what made the Eagles standout and got them chosen to be a part of the Apollo crew. It is interesting to see what things made them the best of the best. I liked that some stories that were told were ones I had never heard. I did find the authors attempt to make it almost a devotional format forced and a little distracting. I think it would have read more smoothly as individual essays or short stories without trying to make it a "what we can learn from this story" kind of theme.

[Federico Lucifredi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. The ethics and world-view of our favorite space icons distilled in a short tome. Optimistic, it helps you build perspective and understand how these adventurous souls met their incredible in space and on the ground.

A couple of errors made it in - Harrison Schmitt did not receive his Ph.D from MIT, he was a Harvard man (p.43), and the Shuttle launched the probes Magellan and Galileo, but not Voyager 1 (p.199). These are minutia for the author to fix in a future edition, calling them out hoping he reads Goodreads reviews.

The book is a great addition to any space library, and (perhaps unexpectedly) to the self-help and technical staff management shelves as well.

[Ish · Rating 3 out of 5]

there’s some interesting take-aways, and definitely a lot of insight about how the space program changed our perspective and priorities. at the same time, it also reads like a patronising self-help book within the narrow scopes of western exceptionalism.

and... it’s a grand story, so it’s difficult to say how grandiose it makes america sound, despite the astronaut’s perspective not to view the human race by borders. it also takes a very firm stand for/against current leaders in space exploration, which was unnecessary. (also, eat the rich.) i feel it didn’t do journalistic justice in ensuring the story is fair and well vetted.

i need to read more space books though.

[Evan Sproul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating presentation of history and biography: a history of the American space program since President Kennedy announced the goal of going to the moon. Plus biographical sketches of the men who went to the moon, their thoughts and beliefs before their missions and how space changed them in some cases, and in others added strength to their faith.
Hero also goes beyond the Apollo program and mentions the shuttles and thoughts about where America’s space program Is going and lessons to be learned from the experience of seeing the earth from space.

[Sarah Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read. Published in 2019, Basil Hero takes a different approach to interviewing the remaining Eagles, asking them questions that nobody had before. His reporting experience is evident in his writing as the book tells a complete story, touching on subjects you didn't realize you wanted to know. In the end, all the Eagles preach that space exploration is a benefit to all mankind on our fragile planet that, contrastly, has provided us an oasis of a paradise that no other planet in the known universe can match.

[Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Presenting an interesting angle on Apollo literature, this book is essentially in the advice/self-help/inspirational genre, distilling the experiences of the astronauts (and other NASA employees) into discrete lessons applicable to parts of life beyond space exploration. Though new interviews were done for the book, there’s not a ton of fresh material for readers who have read a wide range of Apollo stuff. Still, the book’s unique focus keeps things interesting through its 200ish pages.

[Jose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good read until about chapter 5 and 6 and thereafter when the author has a bone to pick with the "Church" and religion and quoting Anders losing his Catholic faith sadly along with talk of climate change and turning a book about astronauts into a tirade. The lessons quoted are tiny in print and of no use. Pictures are black and white but text is what turned me away from this book after finishing it.

[Jeron Wong · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who wasn't born in the space race of the 60s, I had a bit of a tough time following who was who outside of the two I had known prior to reading this book, Armstrong and Aldrin. There was a point in the book I almost shelved it because it didn't feel relevant (the part about the astronauts' families). It's a short read but wish it had provided more scaffolding and delved deeper into the "lessons" for CAPCOM and the specific missions.

[Sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book but it fell flat for me. I loved the chapters on Religion, the wives and the earth. Just too technical for me and hard to follow. I thought that there would be a chapter for every person but they are mixed together and it makes it hard to remember who is who.

[Trish Mcintosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting, if unsurprising, insights into the thoughts and perspectives of the men who walked on the moon. I liked hearing about the impact of the space program on their family life and faith. Really weird Jeff Bezos fanboy section toward the end. Seemed entirely random.

[Marylin Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sharing this book with everyone I meet! It’s a short read, but it contains a powerful message, as the twelve astronauts who left our Earth for the moon missions, reflect on their moon journeys and their life journeys too.

[Nathan Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of thought-provoking reflections on the experiences of the men of the Apollo missions who went to the Moon, and their loved ones who remained behind here on Earth. I found there to be a lot to unpack, and I think it's going to have to percolate for a while.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read book for every top level executive, especially those in the fossil fuel industry to get a broader perspective on putting the needs of the planet and those who inhabit it over the needs of share holders and bonuses.

[Jim Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting review of many of the incredible men who went to the moon.
It has anecdotes of the process, the trips, and the people.

It's quite interesting and gives some good insights.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

We.

[Mark Grassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical book

I loved the personal connection the astronauts had to each other and to space and to the moon and the “orb” of earth. Very telling emotions.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the personal stories in this book!