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The John Batchelor Show

Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, the First Manned Flight to Another World Author: Bob Zimmerman Segment 2: The Elite Crew of Apollo 8: Dedication, Exploration, and Speed

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

News, Books, Society & Culture, Arts

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 7 September 2025

⏱️ 13 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, the First Manned Flight to Another World Author: Bob Zimmerman
Segment 2: The Elite Crew of Apollo 8: Dedication, Exploration, and Speed

Frank Borman, an "old-fashioned American," was known for his honesty, deep sense of duty, and commitment to America. A West Point graduate and aeronautical instructor, he led the Apollo 1 investigation, ensuring meticulous preparation for Apollo 8. Jim Lovell, a "space cadet" and naval test pilot, desired space exploration, famously later commanding Apollo 13. His first mission with Borman, Gemini 7, proved humans could live in space for two weeks. William Anders, a rookie and military jet pilot, was driven by a love for speed and holds the human speed record from the Apollo 8 return. All three were relentlessly committed military veterans.
1929 MILANO

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0:00.0

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0:30.4

This is CBSI in the world. I'm John Bachelor. Bob Zimmerman, his new book, Genesis,

0:36.8

is a book from the late 20th century, but it's always fresh when you consider where the program that was Apollo is now.

0:39.0

It's in Boca, Texas.

0:40.4

It's around the world at all the new space ports.

0:43.0

That's where Apollo 8 is.

0:44.7

But we need to go through the details because in 1968 there was a war on, and it was a global war.

0:53.4

It was called the Cold War. And events had built up to

0:56.8

both sides thinking apocalyptic about the other. And then there was the NASA program. NASA was

1:04.6

meant to get to the moon, thanks to a speech by President Kennedy early in his time in office,

1:11.9

assigning the task to his vice president, Lyndon Johnson.

1:15.8

We now are at the moment where both sides believe they've prepared everything

1:22.4

for a circumlunar mission or even a moon landing eventually.

1:27.2

It is late 1968. We need to introduce the three

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