For NASA, Apollo 8 provided valuable confirmation that the package which would take Americans to the Moon actually worked. Apollo 9 then took on the original profile of Apollo 8, except forthe fact that, given the earlier mission’s success, there seemed little point in testing the lunar module in Earth orbit. The crew of James McDivitt, David Scott, and Rusty Schweickart therefore went to the Moon. After the command module separated from the spent rocket, the crew turned it around and then docked with the lunar module, which was still enclosed in Saturn’s final stage. They then pulled away and headed for the Moon.

Once in the Moon’s orbit, McDivitt and Schweickart climbed into the lunar module, separated it from the command module, and flew it for the first time. They practiced maneuvering with the descent engines and then completed the test by firing the ascent engines, leaving the descent stage behind before docking with the command module. Echoing Lovell, Schweickart remarked on his view of Earth, calling it “that little blue and white thing . . . all of history and music and poetry and art and death and life and love, tears, joy, games.”

(pg 230-231)

I like the book, and would like to cite it for a class paper, but I'm not sure about it's accuracy. It has a great alternative viewpoint compared to other books, and uses a lot of good primary sources, but isn't this section saying that Apollo 9 went to the moon? As far as I'm aware, it did not leave LEO. Or is this some weird metaphor? Even if I'm reading this wrong, I still would like to see a historian vouch for the book's credibility.

Also, suggestions of books of a similar theme are helpful.