In May 1961, President Kennedy announced that the United States would attempt to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth before the end of that decade. Yet NASA did not have a specific plan for how to accomplish that goal. Over the next fourteen months, NASA vigorously debated several options. At first the consensus was to send one big rocket with several astronauts to the moon, land and explore, and then take off and return the astronauts to earth in the same vehicle. Another idea involved launching several smaller Saturn V rockets into the earth orbit, where a lander would be assembled and fueled before sending the crew to the moon. But it was a small group of engineers led by John C. Houbolt who came up with the plan that propelled human beings to the moon and back―not only safely, but faster, cheaper, and more reliably. Houbolt and his colleagues called it “lunar orbit rendezvous,” or “LOR.” At first the LOR idea was ignored, then it was criticized, and then finally dismissed by many senior NASA officials. Nevertheless, the group, under Houbolt’s leadership, continued to press the LOR idea, arguing that it was the only way to get men to the moon and back by President Kennedy’s deadline. Houbolt persisted, risking his career in the face of overwhelming opposition. This is the story of how John Houbolt convinced NASA to adopt the plan that made history. "The choice of how to get to the moon was critical to meeting President Kennedy's goal of a lunar landing 'before this decade is out.' Bill Causey's deeply researched and clearly written book depicts how the persistence of one man, NASA engineer John Houbolt, decisively influenced the tortuous and contentious process of making that choice. The book nicely fills a glaring gap in the history of America's journey to the moon, and reminds us that the lunar journey was far from straightforward." — John M. Logsdon, Professor Emeritus, Space Policy Institute, The George Washington University "John C. Houbolt was another of the 'hidden figures' of NASA during the Apollo era. Bucking institutional blinders, Houbolt convinced the leaders of the space agency that lunar orbit rendezvous was the best way to conduct the Apollo program. William Causey's biography of Houbolt tells the fascinating story of how this lone engineer battled bureaucracy to help America achieve President Kennedy's vision, 'before this decade is out,' of 'landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.'" — Roger Launius , author of Reaching for the Moon: A Short History of the Space Race "Causey's book joins the list of essential reading for people seeking to understand the forces that made possible the Apollo space program. He expertly recalls the venture from the perspective of the people who organized the expeditions, and the sole engineer who convinced the country's finest spaceflight minds that getting to the moon and back by 1970 required lunar orbit rendezvous. In the process, Causey paints a vivid picture of the inner workings of American government and the making of technical decisions in the mid-twentieth century." — Howard McCurdy , Professor, American University, Washington, DC "This is an outstanding book and should be read by every space flight enthusiast." — National Space Society "Well worth a read for those who wonder how NASA pulled off the impossible." — Francis French, Space Historian "Among the many books that have come out in recent months to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first human flights to the Moon, John Houbolt stands out for adding new information to this story." — Quest: The History of Spaceflight "If you are picking up this work, there stands a good chance you have more than a passing understanding of NASA's history and organisation, and while you might be familiar with the LOR story, Causey's telling through the lens of Houbolt is worth a read even if you think you have read it all already, and neither the scholar nor the buff will be disappointed. This is an essential and much-needed addition to the history of the Apollo Program. Causey's John Houbolt: The Unsung Hero of the Apollo Moon Landings is a critical and stimulating look at the individual of John Houbolt, but also at NASA writ large." — Dr. Brian Laslie , From Balloons to Drones " John Houbolt: The Unsung Hero of the Apollo Moon Landings is not a complete biography of Houbolt's life: it ends once the decision for LOR is secured, with Houbolt leaving NASA shortly thereafter for private industry. It is, though, a detailed examination of the discussions at NASA in its first years about just how it was going to get astronauts to the surface of the Moon and back, and how one man, Houbolt, played a key, if often unheralded, role in that effort." — The Space Review "Being quite familiar with many of the individuals and events of the Apollo Program, I eagerly advanced through the pages to see what possible surprises the author could lay befor