I literally read this book in a day. I learned so much about the Gemini space program. This followed the Mercury program and led to the Apollo program. I knew so many of the names of the astronauts, but had no idea what they went through in each of the Gemini missions. In my mind, it was Apollo 13 that had near death problems. What these men in the NASA program endured to become an astronaut and to be willing explorers in a time where so little was known about going in to space and surviving. NASA was pushing this program to advance faster than the Russians. Poeple often say now, "we just flew them up there in tin cans", which is not too far off in the beginning days.

This was a fascinating look at each of the Gemini missions and the problems and danger each astronaut faced. But the loyalty and determination of each of the people in the NASA program is so admirable.

I have loved space and space exploration since I was very young. I loved going to NASA many times growing up and took my own kids there. I have read books on astronauts and and even met Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 who started in the Gemini program. This book did not disappoint! Highly recommend for those interested in some intense stories of the early years of space exploration.

I paired the book with the audio. Both are well done and enhanced the story for me.

My thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmilian Audio for advanced copies of this e-book and audiobook.

4.8 Stars (for the few typos and that some might think that the book should be entirely about Gemini, even though it provides other background. 5 stars for the research!)

First of all, I would like to thank St Martin's Press, Jeffrey Kluger, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC free for an honest review.

Let me tell you, I love reading and learning more about space history. So, when I saw this book on NetGalley as an advance copy, I had to have it and read this book. Maybe I am slightly biased, as even a very young girl, I have been drawn to the history of space travel.

Maybe that love and interest was because I grew up during the 60s/early 70s and remember watching the space TV broadcasts with my mom whenever possible. Although I was pretty young (around 5 or 6, thus don't recall specific details), there was one time (though I don't recall who it had been) I remember feeling so scared for the astronaut(s) who had landed in the ocean and their lives were at risk due to some of the tiles catching fire?? But the biggest take away had been, what brave souls these men where who risked their lives to travel among the stars.

Later, I had the wonderful fortune to meet a real honest to goodness astronaut in my early 20s. That man was Senator John Glenn from Ohio. I wrote to him to see if he could give me and my parents a tour around the Senate (when that was still a thing). He wrote back, and we spent several hours touring around the Senate. Sometime in later when Voyager was a thing, I went to a special NASA exhibit that also included various photos, patches, photos and parts/pieces having been part of the Apollo, Gemini (and I think Mercury) missions.

Being able to read this book gave me a greater understanding of what went on "behind the scenes;" the stories that were not on "display." Kluger's <i> Gemini</i> was not just about the Gemini program, but provided the history of the entire 1960s space programs, including Gemini's predecessor, Mercury (some detail but the book is about Gemini after all), leading up to Gemini, and how Gemini provided the springboard into the Apollo flights.

Probably the best part of Kluger's writing is that it wasn't all technical jargon but understandable to the everyday layman. His narrative helps the reader relate to the many involved in the various aspects of space history exploration. Another really great aspect was how Kluger provided background as to what our Russian counterparts had accomplished--their great achievements as well as their failures. Missiles were used as a way to launch into space. Quite sadly, that race for space involved a prototype R-16 intercontinental ballistic missile at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Soviet Kazakhstan which exploded and killed a large number of military and technical personnel including the head of the R-16 program. The Russians kept that a secret for decades.

There were great anecdotes about the different crews and even those who always remained on the ground like Chris Kraft. Kruger provided a great mini-biography on all the various men who tried out for the chance to go into space. Kluger let the reader see the human side of these men. One of the most memorable anecdotes involved John Young's smuggled corned-beef sandwich. Gus Grissom having taken a bite of it, pieces of the rye bread started floating all around the cabin. Funny at first but it could have caused major issues.

Although I liked all the background given leading up to the Gemini, some readers may be disappointed, expecting that the entire book is solely about Gemini. That might be great for those already familiar with the various space programs. Kluger's prose really makes this a great read, in my opinion, and easy to understand without being a "rocket scientist."

As a side note, I would like to add that I finished the book about three days before the passing of James Lovell, who flew on Gemini 6 and 12 (and of course Apollo 13), and who was one of the few surviving astronauts of the program. This book is a wonderful way to preserve the history of those brave and daring souls who risked their lives to explore space.

I highly recommend this book for anyone with interest in the early days of the space program!

This book is well researched and written. It covers primarily the little written about Gemini program that took place between the original Mercury program and the Apollo program that reached the moon. The first part of the book spends most of the time on the Mercury program, the recruitment of the astronauts and the issues that occured during it. It them picks up with the Gemini program a d covers in detail the progress of the program until the Apollo program becomes the focus. This is a good book for those who are interested in the history of the space program.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

The scrapbooks I kept in junior high are filled with clippings about the space program–especially the Gemini missions. Other kids had Beatlemania, but I was excited by astronauts going into space.

Jeffrey Kluger’s recounting of the Gemini program is vastly entertaining. There were so many engineering challenges, moments where life and death hung in the balance, I could relive the excitement of the times.

Each astronaut’s personality and skills are efficiently portrayed. While reading, Gemini astronaut Jim Lovell passed. I especially appreciated revisiting about his part in history.

What NASA achieved in so few months was remarkable. The Gemini missions made landing on the moon possible.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon by Jeffrey Kluger
Outstanding book! A joy to read!

Like many people, I grew up with the NASA space program. I was in grade school for the Mercury and Gemini programs. I always felt so proud and excited whenever we watch Lift Off! And to see a man from my home state of Ohio, John Glenn, and what he accomplished was equally thrilling. And now “Gemini” has reawakened my love of space travel.

“Gemini” is written in a friendly, positive style. Plenty of facts and easy to understand explanations, as well as many close up looks of the Astronauts and their feelings. Some were quiet, some were more playful, but they all were brave and committed young men who did their best. I’m still amazed at how much was accomplished in a relatively short time.

This is a great read and I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

As a space buff I really didn't know much about the Gemini program... Now I do! This is a very thorough look at a time which too often gets glossed over...

I started reading Jeffrey Kluger's Gemini only days after the passing of Jim Lovell, one of the few surviving astronauts of the program, having flown on Gemini 6 and 12. This made reading the book feel more bittersweet than it likely would have if I had read it closer to its actual release date in November later this year.

Kluger is a veteran of writing novels about NASA and its space program, including two books about Lovell's Apollo missions. Here he turns his attention to the Gemini program, the lesser known middle child of the Mercury and Apollo programs. But he also in some turns proves exactly the point of it being the lesser known program by devoting only about half of the book to those missions.

A good solid chunk of the first part of the book is the establishment of NASA and the rehashing of the Mercury program, including each of the six launches that were part of Mercury. It's well written and easily readable, even for someone that is not a space enthusiast (aka me), but it also dedicates a lot of pages in a book that's supposed to be about Gemini to Mercury, a subject that has been covered many times by many other authors as its own focus. Some background is necessary to provide context, but it takes up too much real estate in the book that could have been used to covering the Gemini missions in more detail.

When Kluger does finally shift over to his title subject there are plenty of items to cover. Many people don't realize that the first spacewalks and rendezvous occurred in the Gemini program. So did having more than one astronaut on a mission. It was the first time eating and bodily functions had to be taken into consideration. Technology had to be evolved to be able to provide power to a spacecraft for longer than four days, in preparation for being able to make a two week trip to the moon and back. New astronaut classes were introduced during the Gemini program that included the three men that initially went to the moon (Apollo 8) and later landed on it (Apollo 11).

Along the way no astronaut lives were lost on a Gemini mission, though tragedy occurred closer to home. And even though no lives were lost, there were times where there was very much the danger of that happening, with the uncontrolled spin of Gemini 8 and the perilous spacewalk of Gene Cernan on Gemini 9. There was the unexpected success and accomplishment of Geminis 6 and 7 that occurred because a failure of an Agena that was supposed to be part of a standalone Gemini 6 mission.

There is a tremendous amount of excitement, adventure, mishaps and disappointments that were part of the Gemini program, and without it the Apollo missions would not have succeeded. In some regards it feels like Kluger skims the surface some, not providing the almost moment by moment breakout that exists for some of the Mercury and Apollo missions. Perhaps this is because there wasn't the interest in all the details when they were happening and now the men that lived through those moments aren't here to tell their stories.

There are still plenty of interesting anecdotes, the corned beef sandwich, Lovell and his skivvies, Schirra doing the equivalent of an AWOL in a sealed tin can, before the book ends with a healthy dose of the first few crewed Apollo missions. I just wish there was more Kluger had covered in the Gemini missions.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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 of Mr. Kluger’s principal aims is to explain Gemini in the context of the entire effort to meet President Kennedy’s 1961 goal of “… landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth” before the end of the decade. To do that, he reviews:

- Soviet accomplishments in space, including the first orbital satellite (Sputnik) and first manned missions;

- US efforts to catch up, including the employment of German scientists from the WWII V-1 and V-2 rocket programs, and the formation of NASA and Project Mercury,

- The involvement of various politicians in the "space race," including Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

- Project Mercury’s seven astronauts and their missions, as well some of the people leading NASA on the ground.

He then goes on to detail all ten of the Gemini missions, concentrating on the men who flew them, each mission’s objectives and why they were necessary to “get to the moon,” and what actually happened during each mission. The story he tells is filled with anecdotes and allows readers to get to know—at least a little—the astronauts involved in the project.

Mr. Kluger’s prose is straightforward and clear. He has a talent for explaining complex technical matters in easy-to-understand terms. I especially appreciated this when it came to his descriptions of the physics of rocketry, orbital mechanics, and spacecraft design and construction. His accounts of various “space walks” had me on the edge of my chair.

Scheduled for publication on November 11 of this year, just in time for the holidays, “Gemini” is a good choice for anyone interested in NASA, the history of space exploration, and/or the “space race” between the US and USSR throughout the 1960s.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Jeffrey Kluger, and publisher St. Martin's Press for providing me with a complimentary ARC. All of the foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.

First a huge thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I love all things space. Having read several books on the Mercury missions and the Apollo missions as well as a few from the Space Shuttle era I had never read anything covering the Gemini missions. What a thrill ride. So many stories of these men that we have heard so much about but never heard the stories of these missions. A very quick read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Would 100% recommend.

A fascinating look into the often overlooked Gemini program! Jeffrey Kluger does a masterful job of giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the American space program, and the Gemini program in particular. Coming between Mercury (first Americans in space) and Apollo (first Americans on the moon), the 12 Gemini flights don't get the glory, but each was an essential stepping stone to setting foot on the moon. The author did a great job of providing details about the flights without overloading the reader with too much technical information. And I really enjoyed learning more about the different personalities of the astronauts and others involved in the space program.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a delight of a read. For anyone remotely interested in the space program and how we got to where we are today, this was such a detailed and exhaustive book, but it is such an easy and enjoyable read, written like a narrative. The detail in all of the stories of each mission and getting to hear each person's perspective was incredible. And it really puts into perspective how much work goes into these missions, recounting it step by step like this.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, it was a pleasure to read and review.

NASA Invents a New Story of Space-Exploration
Jeffrey Kluger, Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story (New York: St. Martin’s Press, November 11, 2025). Softcover: $26.99. ISBN: 978-1-250415-82-0.
***
“…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… Later, with the knowledge gained from the Gemini flights, NASA would launch the legendary Apollo program…”
I previously noted elsewhere that evidence leans towards the “conspiracy” that the US never landed humans on the Moon, or that these landings were faked. For example, the speed reached by one of these “manned” flights would have pancaked a human at un-survivable G’s, and yet the astronauts are claimed to have survived this trip. On the other hand, there is currently a Space Station in orbit, so this proves that the US did succeed in imitating Russia in sending humans into orbit around the Earth. Lessons learned in these deadly early experiments have been reused through the present without many new innovations in this snail-speed space-race.
The ’Introduction” opens by creating tension in the threat of manned astronauts crashing back down to Earth at extreme G’s. The transcript of this crash-landing is read with commentary. The writing style is too casual. Most of it seems to be a repeat of NASA’s main sources that reported on what happened. This copying of NASA’s version is why the faking of space-explorations is not likely to be uncovered by mainstream writers who just copy the official version without questioning it.
After this dramatic summary, there’s extensive puffing of the “successes”, the “capabilities”, “mechanical genius” etc. of this program.
The “Prologue” begins with a personal tension as one astronaut is considering cutting another “loose” in space in 1966. An astronaut is tumbling through space, then people step out to discuss what should be done in secret. No astronaut had walked in space before, and now it was necessary to stop from just cutting a guy off and letting him drift into space. If they had to discuss it at that moment this means they had done absolutely no planning, and had to rational plan for this likely scenario.
I cannot keep reading this book because I’ve read a few similar pufferies of NASA’s achievements before. Some of them are dramatic and somewhat interesting to read, but the tensions they depict seem fictional, or as if words not in transcripts are being made up to fill gaps in the record. I do not recommend reading this book unless somebody is researching just what NASA has been up to before, and is doing now.
--Pennsylvania Literary Journal: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-summer-2025/

Historical writing at its finest, “Gemini” tells the story of the US Gemini space program that fell between the Mercury and Apollo programs. Jeffrey Kluger brings to life in a clear and fascinating way the astronauts and Mission Control personnel who made it possible for man to go to the moon, providing backstories and insights so the reader is invested in them as individuals as well as the overarching story of the race to the moon. This is one of those books that I will miss the characters (in this case real people) and will carry with me as inspiration to live a life of striving to be my best and to serve others.

I received a prepublication digital copy of this book through in exchange for my honest review.

My thanks to the publisher for the advanced reading copy of this book. This book was a great inside into the Gemini program and also shared a great day of detail about the Soviet space program and its early days.. The detail about the various personalities astronauts, and the detail about the development of the program and expenditures. I found fascinating. Politics and the personalities work extremely intriguing. It was an insight I had not previously learned about it was a good read..

I love reading about the history of NASA and as Jeffrey Kluger writes in his introduction, it is a shame that the world focuses mostly on Mercury and Apollo and forgets about Gemini in between. I appreciated that Kluger included a refresher of the Mercury missions so we could see how Gemini grew out of Mercury, and I was also glad he included an epilogue that summarized what Apollo was able to achieve because of the Gemini missions. His writing is super accessible and his passion for space is clear.

The Space Age is something I've always been interested in but have yet to really do a deep dive into, so Gemini was a fun read because of how little I knew about this era of NASA. Realistically I already knew they just didn't go to the moon after deciding to do so; that there had to be a lot of preparation and planning and pre-moon space activities; but I really didn't know what all of that entailed. Kluger provides an insight to all of that with informative writing alongside easy-to-digest science, paired with brief yet vibrant portraits of the astronauts involved. A lot of little pieces come together to weave an interesting story that captivated me.

Because it's the Space Age, all the anti-communist and patriotism sentiment of the era does come with the writing (to be expected), but I also feel like Kluger wasn't shy about acknowledging the Soviet achievements in space, which is absolutely a bonus for me.

While some of the chapters can feel slightly repetitive because of the cyclical nature of the Gemini missions, the narrative is still compelling and well-written, making Gemini a really good addition to Space Age nonfiction. Novices to the genre like me will probably find it the most 'helpful' but I think it's something even more seasoned veterans will enjoy too

Rich, complex, and well-written - though he does love to linger on disasters and near-disasters. I was a little puzzled at the first few chapters when, after saying everyone knows about Mercury and Apollo, he went into extended, detailed coverage of Mercury (most of which I didn't know, so valuable, but a little odd in context). Gemini pushed Mercury aside, and Kluger gave it equally detailed and slightly more extended coverage. I recognized most of the names of the astronauts, but a lot of the details were things I'd never heard. The most interesting to me were the bits about how one disaster or another were seen as threatening America's entire space program - by the time I was paying attention, America's primacy in space was an axiom. Those comments put me closer to people of the time, for whom it was really still a question whether the space program would get anywhere at all. Fascinating. Then political aspects, and various problems in space and on Earth, pushed the end of Gemini - Apollo literally was starting before the last few planned flights of Gemini. Again, things I didn't know. And again, Kluger surprised me by continuing the story, past the capsule fire and multiple Apollo flights (with a lot of fractious astronauts involved), all the way up to the moon landing and a quick skim of the rest of Apollo. It's helpful, setting Gemini into its context, but surprising nonetheless. Glad I read it, I learned a lot, it was very dense (I stopped to read some short fiction in the middle, as a mental refresher) and I doubt I'll reread. But I'll be looking for some of his other books.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy.
Gemini was a great historical account of the middle child of the US space program in the 1960's. So many of the achievements and missions in Gemini were essential to building success in the Apollo program. You may be already familiar with Jeffrey Kluger's work if you have heard of or seen Apollo 13. Kluger's gift of turning historical events into a compelling narrative made Gemini a fabulous and insightful book that you can quickly devour. The technical aspects are explained in enough simple detail that those who are not as familiar with the science used can easily understand.

I loved everything about this book and am recommending it to everyone I know who has even an inkling of interest in space or history. Do yourself a favor and buy this book!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I am a huge fan of space, and I was not aware of the history of the Apollo missions. I was not very informed about the Gemini missions either. After reading this book, I learned how much work it took from everyone to get people in space and finally to the moon. This book was such a great read! I loved learning how the Gemini missions helped perfect rendezvous and docking. I also did not know much about Armstrong’s personal life and was saddened to learn about his daughter. This book really gives a glimpse of everything that occurred behind the red curtain. It was filled with a lot of ups and downs, and I am glad Kluger did not hold back and gave us all the history.

I loved this book. It provided a compelling history of the American space program and explained the role of Gemini as it fits between the Mercury and Apollo programs. The writing provides a fair share of the drama involved in space flight in a well-paced story that I found hard to put down.The book also explained the creation of NASA and its various trials and tribulations. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance reader copy.