First published 2019
The space race begins with President Kennedy's stunning declaration on May 25, 1961. He commits America to landing astronauts on the lunar surface before the decade ends. Douglas Brinkley examines how this audacious goal transformed the nation during the turbulent 1960s. The historian explores the political forces, scientific breakthroughs, and cultural shifts that made NASA's Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions possible. He draws on fresh primary sources and interviews with surviving participants to reveal the complex story behind America's victory over the Soviet Union. The narrative features key figures like rocket engineer Wernher von Braun, astronaut John Glenn, and space advocate Lyndon Johnson. Brinkley shows how Cold War tensions drove Kennedy to embrace this risky venture. The book captures the technological innovations that propelled humans beyond Earth's orbit and returned them safely. This account reveals both the brilliant minds who engineered success and the geopolitical pressures that made the moon landing essential to American prestige.
Genres: history, science, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-non-fiction, political-intrigue, scientific-breakthroughs
Setting: America, Earth, Moon, Soviet Union
Period: 1960s, Cold War
576 pages · Hardcover · Harper