Houston, we’ve had a problem

The astronauts had to abandon their mission to the moon and instead focus on survival and a safe reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. What followed is a story of perseverance, bravery, and ingenuity, as the astronauts worked with mission control in Houston to use the lunar module to support themselves for the journey home.

Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 is told in third person by Lovell. The nature of the flight itself is dramatic, but Lovell’s calmness, fortitude, and character come through in his retelling, presenting the events with an even-keeled fearlessness, even cracking the occasional joke.

For those familiar with the 1995 Ron Howard film Apollo 13 featuring Tom Hanks, which is based on Lovell’s book, this story is more technical. Lovell conveys his understanding of the spacecraft well; readers learn more about the technology and features of Apollo 13.

With Lovell as a co-author alongside Jeffrey Kluger, there’s also a good amount of Lovell’s biography in the book. Through that also comes learning more about Lovell’s wife, Marilyn, during the events of Apollo 13, which reminds the reader of the very real stakes of bringing the astronauts back home safely.

Command module pilot Swigert died in 1982, and Lovell died in August 2025 at the age of 97. Lovell had served the country not only as an astronaut, with four missions flown under his belt, but as a naval aviator and test pilot. In his lifetime, he accumulated more than 7,000 flight hours, including 3,500 hours in high performance jets.

The Apollo 13 mission is survived by lunar module pilot Haise who is 91.

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