Gemini, Jeffrey Kluger
Gemini, Jeffrey Kluger
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Gemini
Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story

Author: Jeffrey Kluger

Narrator: Rob Reider

Unabridged: 10 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/11/2025


Synopsis

From the bestselling author of Apollo 13 comes the thrilling untold story of the pioneering Gemini program that was instrumental in getting Americans on the moon.

Without Gemini, there would be no Apollo.

After we first launched Americans into space but before we touched down on the moon’s surface, there was the Gemini program. It was no easy jump from manned missions in low-Earth orbit to a successful moon landing, and the ten-flight, twenty-month celestial story of the Gemini program is an extraordinary one. There was unavoidable darkness in the program—the deaths and near-deaths that defined it, and the blood feud with the Soviet Union that animated it.

But there were undeniable and previously inconceivable successes. With a war raging in Vietnam and lawmakers calling for cuts to NASA’s budget, the success of the Gemini program—or the space program in general—was never guaranteed. Yet against all odds, the remarkable scientists and astronauts behind the project persevered, and their efforts paid off. Later, with the knowledge gained from the Gemini flights, NASA would launch the legendary Apollo program.

Told with Jeffrey Kluger’s signature cinematic storytelling and in-depth research and interviews, Gemini is an edge-of-your-seat narrative chronicling the history of the least appreciated—and most groundbreaking—space program in American history. Finally, Gemini’s story will be told, and finally, we’ll learn the truth of how we landed on the moon.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

About Jeffrey Kluger

Jeffrey Kluger is Editor at Large at Time, where he has written more than 45 cover stories. Coauthor of Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, which was the basis for the movie Apollo 13, he is also the author of 13 other books including his latest book Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sheila on June 26, 2025

I received a free copy of, Gemini, by Jeffrey Kluger, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Space travel has changed so much throughout the years. Gemini was a space program that started in 1961, it was not without tragedy, but was a much needed program to learn more abo......more

Goodreads review by Jim on May 05, 2025

It’s a rare book that can have me holding my breath for a tense moment. Al Michaels’ recount of the Miracle on Ice is the last one I can recall. Even when I know the outcome - like Apollo 13 (I recently found a copy of Mr. Kluger’s Lost Moon, now on my “Space shelf”, but haven’t gotten to it yet. Mu......more

Goodreads review by Dave on May 16, 2025

Both the Mercury project and the Apollo program live on in memory as the key stepping stones to the moon, but between the two was the Gemini project with its 19 launches that bridged the gap between "we got a man to orbit the Earth!" and "we sent men to the moon with a lander, separated while orbiti......more

Goodreads review by William on August 11, 2025

Jeffrey Kluger’s “Gemini” is a history of NASA’s Gemini program, a series of two-man orbital missions designed to develop and test various capabilities necessary for sending astronauts to the moon via the Apollo program. It is a well-researched, well-written, and instructive work of non-fiction. One......more

Goodreads review by Mary Angel on June 15, 2025

I was worried at first that a book about the Gemini space program might be dry and boring, but the book, Gemini, is extraordinary. It details the Gemini flights and the political landscape leading up to them in a way that's really compelling and almost feels like a thriller in parts. I was pleasantl......more


Quotes

“A superbly written and thoroughly researched story of early spaceflight that isn't just for space buffs but for every reader who loves tales of true adventure. You can almost smell the hydrazine fumes as you turn the pages of Jeffrey Kruger's amazing story of America's second spacecraft that ultimately gave us the moon.” —Homer Hickam, bestselling author of Rocket Boys

"Long before my twin brother Mark and I flew in space, it was Gemini, another twin, that taught NASA how to get there — and back. In Gemini, Jeff Kluger brings to life the grit, danger, and brilliance behind a program that turned theory into skill and astronauts into moonwalkers. This is essential history, told with the kind of precision only Jeff can deliver — and every space traveler or fan of space should read.” —Scott Kelly, Retired US Navy Captain and former NASA astronaut

"Jeffrey Kluger—the best author ever at capturing both the technical and human aspects of space travel—tells the amazing and, up until now, untold story of the Gemini program, the program that developed the technology, experiences, and people needed to successfully land the first humans on the moon... A must read not only for space enthusiasts, but also for any person seeking inspiration from the greatest adventure ever accomplished by humanity." —Mike Massimino, Columbia University professor and former NASA astronaut

"[Kluger's] page-turning prose is written with new journalistic bravado... heartpounding... Impressively researched and stylishly written, the history of the space race achieves liftoff." —Kirkus Reviews

"Kluger’s book is part history of space-travel technology and part study in human ingenuity and perseverance." Library Journal


Awards

  • Time Magazine Best Books of the Year