Never Panic Early: An Apollo 13 Astronaut's Journey

by Fred Haise, Bill Moore, Gene Kranz (Foreword)

The extraordinary autobiography of astronaut Fred Haise, one of only 24 men to fly to the moonIn the gripping Never Panic Early, Fred Haise, Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 13, offers a detailed firsthand account of when disaster struck three days into his mission to the moon. An oxygen tank exploded, a crewmate uttered the now iconic words, “Houston, we’ve had a problem here,” and the world anxiously watched as one of history’s most incredible rescue missions unfolded. Haise brings readers into the heart of his experience on the challenging mission--considered NASA’s finest hour--and reflects on his life and career as an Apollo astronaut. In this personal and illuminating memoir, illustrated with black-and-white photographs, Haise takes an introspective look at the thrills and triumphs, regrets and disappointments, and lessons that defined his career, including his years as a military fighter pilot and his successful 20-year NASA career that would have made him the sixth man on the moon had Apollo 13 gone right. Many of his stories navigate fear, hope, and resilience, like when he crashed while ferrying a World War II air show aircraft and suffered second and third-degree burns over 65 percent of his body, putting him in critical condition for ten days before making a heroic recovery. In Never Panic Early, Haise explores what it was like to work for NASA in its glory years and demonstrates a true ability to deal with the unexpected.

Genres: Space, Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Science, Memoir, History

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2022

Reviews

[jaydro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another autobiography that is refreshing because it reads like the author actually wrote it, but that also has limitations because it's not that well-written. The best part is the first three-quarters, which covers Haise's life up until his involvement in the shuttle approach and landing test program. With shuttle ALT the book begins to read like a summary of technical debriefings, and then when Haise transitions into private industry it begins to read like an extended résumé. It just feels like much less effort was expended on the last quarter of the book.

[Wayne R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like this as I thought I would. Didn't like the authors writing style. Too much like an engineer. Not good at story writing but good at facts without the story. Also needed personal emptions which was lacking. Sad because he had a good story to tell. Should of had someone else write it.

[Jo Torr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as easily readable by a layperson as the other astronaut autobiographies I’ve read. If you know a lot about planes or engineering, I think you’d enjoy it. I did like the recurring ‘never panic early’ theme and the actual space bits were good, if a bit lacking in detail.

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fred Haise's memoir shares a series of his "Never Panic Early" moments - times throughout his career when he faced challenges with calm and grace. Haise has led a really interesting life, and obviously I was fascinated by his stories of space travel and the Apollo 13 mission. That said, his writing is definitely more for those who are familiar with military and space travel life. It was often difficult to understand and follow, which made it slow reading. I would not revisit, but I was really glad to have read it.

[Heaven]

I wish I had read this book and knew anything about the Apollo program BEFORE Fred Haise came to speak to my organization at work. Incredible guy. I am fascinated by Fred’s life. You have to be curious by the brains of any of the first few guys agreeing to take off to the moon before it was a real thing. NASA was all a giant experiment when Haise first joined. So cool. He was also on the Apollo 13 mission that had an oxygen tank explode shortly after busting through our atmosphere, and he successfully made it back to earth, because he remained calm and is a master problem solver.

It took me 2 weeks to read this memoir because of all the research I did alongside reading it. I watched many YouTube videos of climactic moments in our world’s history that Haise was part of.

Warning: many chapters will have you on the edge of your seat with your heart rate up as adrenaline pulses through your veins. He shares detailed memories of fighter pilot combat, taking off in rockets, and a few catastrophic events along the way including a plane crash where he burned 65% of his body. Ouch.

Such a cool guy.

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fred Haise (1933-) is an American former NASA astronaut best known as being one of the three stranded astronauts on the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission.  Never Panic Early, cowritten with Bill Moore, is Haise’s autobiography, published in 2022 as Haise prepared to enter his 90s; its title refers to Haise’s career motto about many harrowing experiences he faced where he credited his survival to keeping a cool head.

I really enjoy astronaut memoirs and biographies, though the more of them I read, the more I realize how different personalities influence approaches to similar events.  I’d say Haise’s book fits in with the cluster of astronaut biographies characterized by pragmatism and matter-of-factualism, with a circumspective vs introspective approach, similar to books by fellow astronauts Michael Collins (Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journey), Terry Virts (How to Astronaut: Everything You Need to Know Before Leaving Earth) and Kathryn Sullivan (Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut's Story of Invention). This book was a standout in terms of its humor for me - some examples of Haise’s wit that made me cackle:

It never failed on our early trips – someone would notice that one of our group was always MIA. It was always Bruce McCandless.  He was an avid bird watcher and would stray from the group to observe a bird of interest, so Ed decided to appoint a “Bruce Watcher” on each of our subsequent field trips.  It is ironic that the first person NASA allowed to be completely free, untethered and on his own in space, with a manned maneuvering unit strapped to his back, was Bruce.

And

My friend, NASA pilot Ed Rainey, had an accident caused by a landing gear problem and ended up landing on the belly of the aircraft at Ellington Field.  As a joke, I had an official-looking certificate created and framed that lauded his “test piloting” skills in testing the effects of a concrete runway on an aluminum structure. When [Ed] came to visit me in the burn unit one day [after Haise suffered a serious burn injuries in a plane crash post-Apollo 13], he had his own idea of a joke. It was a large card carrying the prominent statement, “Haise, you can’t even commit hari-kari successfully!”

That being said, while I quite enjoyed Haise’s humor, the book itself could have benefited from better pacing.  It’s told chronologically like most autobiographies, though I imagine most readers are probably most interested in the Apollo 13 part of the story, which got its own chapter in between long stories of Haise’s pre-astronaut days and post-astronaut career.  Haise’s narrative style will also likely not appeal to all readers.

My statistics:
Book 46 for 2026
Book 2352 cumulatively

[Ben Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages.... wait... no... Houston, We Have A Problem.


Recounting Fred Haise's career, this is a very interesting overview of the Space program in America, from the " Original 19" Apollo Astronauts to the development of the Space Shuttle and the privatization of space.

It is astounding how much detail he remembers, though some of it does read like a Google search. ( naming the engines and thrust of every plane he qualified on prior to 1960 as an example. At the same time, he tells the broad strokes of a story. Filling in the details is up to you.

He does cover the famous Apollo 13 incident ( he was the one who was sick as a dog middle to end of the mission) but much like Gene Krantz, I was suprised by how brief it was covering the momentous events. It boils down to " We heard an explosion, we worked the problem, I gave myself a UTI and we all got home".
Granted, maybe I was spoiled by Ron Howard but... a little bit more?

Oddly enough, systems and equipment is his focus and less on the people that make those systems. This is reflected on the previous focus on the jets he flew rather than the people he flew with. I never gor a sense of the other test pilots or his family.

His steps forward for the future, after promotion by Gene Krantz and a sense of building towards it, seem lackluster at a mere few pages. It boils down to "engage kids in math and science and monitor space".

Obviously a very digestible book, bit light on the details and end notes.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story at least through the Apollo years. He definitely did a lot of cool stuff! Unfortunately, once he left NASA and got to work as a contractor, the story became a lot more about bureaucracy and government work, which is as thrilling as it sounds. Highly recommend the first half; the second half, not so much.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a different breed of nerd, one who loves aeronautics, engineering, physics, etc you will love this book. I’m rather nerdy but coasted through much of the engineering content that is not in my wheelhouse. It was well written for the physics nerd. It would be interesting, if not incredibly important, for anyone in those aerospace industries. But for the lowly chemistry and pharmacy nerd, it’s a 3 star book

[Lori Gibbany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great biography! Oklahoma author, so if you are from Oklahoma why not read it. Lots of aviation terminology, stories of flying planes, wars, NASA.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read for me. As a lover of all things NASA, to hear a matter of fact account from astronaut Fred Haise was a complete delight and joy for me. His concluding paragraph was most illuminating, and I'm appreciative of great men who also with a view from the rocking chair express humility.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apollo 13 Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise discusses his early life, reveals his joy of flying as a test pilot, his disappointment at not walking on the moon, his excitement to be the first to fly the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

In between those spectacular career milestones, Fred talks about enlisting in the Naval Aviation Cadet Program where ground school gave him the confidence to fly and recounts his early flight experiences in various aircraft. Then it was on to the Oklahoma Air National Guard, studying aerodynamics, flying as a research pilot at NASA Flight Research Center.

Lured by the possibility of going to the moon, Fred submitted an application to become an astronaut and, in 1966, became one of the nineteen new astronauts that comprised NASA’s Group 5. First in his class to be assigned to a mission, he was the backup Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 8 as well as for Apollo 11.

But the flight of Apollo 13 is probably the one that readers will think of first when looking at his career.

=========

In this captivating memoir, Haise looks at his career, triumphs and disappointments, lessons learned in a NASA career that spanned two decades. This is must-reading for those interested in space exploration, NASA, and what it’s like to be an astronaut.

Readers will find an acronym list included in the book.

Highly recommended.

[Jennifer Lucking · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciated his reflections on climate change, nuclear weapons, and promoting STEM (last chapter).
Legit deducted a star for overusing “never panic early” throughout the book. Turned really gimmicky- his editor really should have reined that in and found better ways to convey the theme without repeating the title of the book. So. Many. Times.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Haise just seems like such a cool dude.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Haise has authored what may be the last book ever written by an Apollo astronaut and in doing so has demonstrated that he faced many tribulations beyond what he went through during Apollo 13. Although he considered a career in journalism while growing up in Mississippi, he realized after joining the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in 1952 that flying was what fascinated him. His passion for flight led him to an engineering degree at the University of Oklahoma, a job as a NASA pilot in 1959, and then his selection as an astronaut in 1966. The most famous emergency he faced came during the Apollo 13 mission, when he lost his chance to walk on the Moon but won the admiration of the world through his ability to return home. Instead of reacting abruptly to the oxygen tank explosion that crippled the Command/Service Module Odyssey, he and his crewmates transferred into the Lunar Module, made a calculation of their available consumables, and made the critical engine firings that would place them a course toward Earth. As he relates in this book, this was only one example of his ability to calmly analyze the available options and make wise decisions during emergencies. For close to two decades prior to Apollo 13, he had done this while flying complex flying machines for the military and NASA. He also did this in simulators that tested his knowledge of those machines. All of this background helps explain why he and his Apollo 13 crewmates proved so trustworthy during their journey. Afterwards, he went through the most painful experience of all when his plane cartwheeled after a landing in 1974 and he was hospitalized for his second and third degree burns. Even after all of this, he went on to fly the Space Shuttle Enterprise on approach and landing flights and stayed active in the space industry through the 1990s thanks to his job with the Grumman company.

This book is definitely not the most emotional or romantic ever written by an astronaut. Haise chose not to write this kind of book, so readers who are interested in this will be disappointed. The book also does not contain much detail about his family and their reaction to his career. But what the book lacks in this area it makes up for in attention to detail concerning the amazing array of projects he contributed to and his talent in solving the problems that arose within them. I recommend that young people going into aerospace careers read the book for that reason.

[David Chudwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Haise was supposed to walk on the Moon, but an oxygen tank blew up in the Service Module, nearly dooming him and his Apollo 13 crew mates Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert. This autobiography is a fascinating, well-written look at his life. While he is most known for his time as an astronaut, before that he was a test pilot and afterwards an aerospace executive. I learned about his role in developing the Lunar Module as an astronaut, and his later work for Grumman. Haise was the first shuttle commander for drop tests (Approach and Landing) and his descriptions are interesting. I also learned about a terrible small plane accident which left him with burns over 60% of his body. He tells of his remarkable but painful recovery and return to flight status. My only quibble is the book gives short shrift to his personal life including his kids and his divorce and remarriage. Overall, it is a remarkably good book, well-written and edited, which is a must-read for anyone interested in aviation, space, or post WW2 history.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75. We saw Fred Haise on a book tour, & I was super-impressed with his talk. I had mixed feelings about the book. Parts of it, I felt like I was humoring a beloved older relative by listening to stories from their childhood. Then there were the descriptions of his flying specific aircraft, which were really of very little interest to me. And I felt like some of the transitions between different stories or topics could have been handled better -- especially when listening to the audiobook version.

I enjoyed his NASA memories the most. One thing that really stuck out to me was how much time the flight crew spent training with various simulated failures. Haise credits their cool demeanor during the Apollo 13 emergencies to the fact that problem-solving was "business as usual."

Overall, I'm glad I read this. Haise's character and intelligence shine through his stories. There's certainly a lot of history covered here, but it's told with personal anecdotes and humor that keep the reader's interest.

[Alan Bickerstaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd been looking forward to this book for a long time. I've been lucky enough to meet Fred, he's an amazing guy and very humble about his experiences. He also puts a lot of effort into raising awareness of science in kids through his work with the Infinity Science Centre. Unfortunately, I finished the book feeling a little disappointed. Not because its a bad book, but because there is clearly far more to tell. This may be down to the editing, but many interesting episodes in Freds life are passed over too quickly as if there just wasn't enough space to include them, making the book feel too short. Fortunately, Fred does have a very good website, which has a lot of the material that didn't make it into the book. Read the book and the website to get a much fuller picture.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fred Haise's autobiography co-written with Bill Moore. Like other works by astronauts, it is a relatively dry and regimented account. There are many abbreviations and details of interest to a pilot. The author kept a diary so the reader can find out who got food poisoning when, and how many pounds of thrust were generated by every engine on every plane that the author flew. The author's account of the Apollo 13 mission is probably what a typical reader is looking for. It is only a small fraction of the text. Nevertheless, if you are interested in this part of our history, Mr. Haise's story is a significant part of it.

=================
Note that I have simultaneously entered this book in LibaryThing and StoryGraph in my current review of similar database sites.

[Sonja · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I was super into learning everything I could about astronauts or was more into engineering and/or military jargon, I would have appreciated this book more and probably rated it at least a 3. The two-star rating says it was okay and that's how I feel about it.

This is a memoir that covers almost the entirety of Fred Haise's life and has a small section about the Apollo 13 incident as well as some other interesting and somewhat harrowing moments in Haise's long career.

If you're only a little curious about the Apollo astronauts, not really into engineering or military specs, or expecting a book that focuses on Apollo 13, this is probably not the best book for you.

I will say the advice to never panic early is good advice.

[Kara Fairchild · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating system:
5 stars - Absolutely loved it! I would definitely read again anytime!
4 stars - Really liked it! Will most likely read again sometime.
3 stars - Liked it. Glad I read it but probably won't read again.
2 stars - Didn't like it. Glad I'm done with the book and I'll never read it again.
1 star - Very rare rating. Absolutely hated the book. Will never read again and I'll probably burn any copies I come across.


He has an amazing life story to tell and I enjoyed seeing behind the scenes but the book was too scientific for me to really enjoy it. I'm not a rocket scientist so I don't understand the mechanics of anything he described.

[B.J. Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm all for books by or about astronauts, but this one was not that good. Maybe Fred Haise needed a better ghost writer. For only about 191 pages of text, there is an incredible amount of details in some odd things - like which trainers he qualified on as a cadet pilot - and only about three paragraphs about Challenger. He witnessed the launch first hand, but all he really had to say here was that they did a review and it wasn't a problem of processing the orbiter for flight. Just odd focus. I guess all the details of Apollo 13 and Challenger have been told other places, but that doesn't mean we don't want HIS perspectives and experiences.

Oh well. Not sorry I read it. :-)

[Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never enjoy giving a book a low rating, but this one failed to takeoff, no pun intended. Not much time is spent covering his mission aboard Apollo 13. Parts of the book are written in a style that doesn’t seem to spend a lot of time on one subject, which makes it feel lacking and void of what his emotions / thoughts are relating to them. It would be interesting to know what he was thinking during his time on Apollo 13. Also, when he mentioned the Challenger that topic was only a handful of sentences. It would be interesting to get more of his thoughts and perspectives since he participated in testing the shuttle.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the author had not been an astronaut, I’d give this one star.

Extremely disjointed writing style, often with statements made that get no follow up about the importance.

“On my way to work, I had to detour around a plane that had crashed on the highway. Jim and I spent the day going over landing procedures for LM-12. The CM process found a leak in the turboencabulator that was quickly addressed.” (That’s not in the book, but it’s how the entire book reads.)

If you can get the book from your library, and have some time to kill, this book is okay, but just okay.

[Sarah Hopkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads like a textbook: straight factual. "I did this. Then I did that." Haise was even a lead on the Challenger accident investigation team and I recall this part of the book being about 4 sentences. I would have loved to hear more about his thoughts and feelings on what happened in his life, especially surrounding Apollo 13.

For it only being 7 hours (audiobook), I think Haise was trying to pack as much as he could about all of his life into a short, concise book.

I do like his quote about "The Creator" on the last page. It made me smile.

[Federico Lucifredi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. A great companion to Lovell's "Apollo 13", Haise's book focuses on his career as a Navy and then Marine pilot, and then as a test pilot, flying dozens of different aircraft and culminating into the atmospheric test program for space shuttle Enterprise.

Exudes modesty for someone who has accomplished so much, it is a refreshing read and a great addition to the space history bookshelf. And yes — he writes like an engineer. That is a plus, this is not an episode of The Avengers.

[David Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a poorly written book - even though a ghost writer was used. Anyone looking for full account of the Apollo 13 disaster and rescue should read Jim Lovell’s book, which combines the facts with the raw emotions of the crew. Haise seems to devote more time to the post-flight ‘world’ tour and snorkelling in Crete than the flight itself. I read it to the end, but cannot recommend it at all.

[Kim Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have alot of interest in Space so I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately Fred Haise is a "just the facts ma'am" kinda guy. The chapter on Apollo 13 was really interesting especially if you have seen the film. It fills in some of the stuff not shown in the film. Overall too much just the facts and not enough story telling. Sadly not recommended.

[Martin Greaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read an Apollo biography written more recently (published in 2022) it covers Fred Haise’s life right from childhood through to post-retirement. The writing style is matter of fact and straightforward. Worth a read for anyone interested in the lives of the Apollo astronauts.

More 3.5 stars than 4, but definitely better than.