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Loading... American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race (original 2019; edition 2019)by Douglas Brinkley (Author)
Work InformationAmerican Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by Douglas Brinkley (2019)
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.   ) Hccpsk | Dec 21, 2023 |  Brinkley also brings up the point that, for this particular feat, everything had to go correctly. The right people had to be in the right place at the right time; the US needed to be an economic powerhouse, spurred on by Eisenhower's fiscal frugality; the country needed bold leadership in the form of JFK; NASA (once created) needed engineering experts; JFK needed LBJ to push Congress to continually push through massive budgets that spent billions with this one goal in mind. It's breathtaking when you consider how just one misplaced piece could have resulted in the US never going to the moon -- at least, not by 1960 and perhaps not ever. Fascinating historical non-fiction that blends science and politics seamlessly. (  ) keithlaf | Aug 1, 2022 | Nope, this book dives way back to the Fifties, and digs even farther back when discussing some of the early years of the key players (Kennedy, Werner Von Braun, Eisenhower, etc.). We're run through the build up to the space program, through its hesitant first steps. We're taken through all the political machinations for and against the space program, manned flights, and the moonshot. Surprisingly, it actually ends prior to the actual moonshot of July, 1969, and only covers it briefly in the epilogue, of all places (and honestly, that's literally the only reason for the one star off rating). Other than that, the content, the research, and the actual story are phenomenal, and it makes me remember how exciting the 1960s really were. ( ) TobinElliott | Sep 3, 2021 | I really enjoyed this in depth look at the American space program. Many events were put in place before Kennedy became president, and maybe we would have eventually made it to the moon, but the drive, the passion, and the influence that Kennedy brought - not only to the public, but to the politicians and engineers - was really brought home for me. We've all heard the speeches (or at least the sound-byte) but to be able to pull back the curtain and see how everything happened - from the great speeches to the back-room deals - cast a light on one of the most important parts of space history. (  ) GeoffHabiger | Dec 29, 2019 | A good recounting of much of the political machinations behind the American Moonshot. Not as detailed a story of the space program and science - more about Kennedy and the program. ( ) mrklingon | Dec 3, 2019 | no reviews | add a review
AwardsNotable Lists
As the fiftieth anniversary of the first lunar landing approaches, the award winning historian and perennial New York Times bestselling author takes a fresh look at the space program, President John F. Kennedy's inspiring challenge, and America's race to the moon. On May 25, 1961, JFK made an astonishing announcement: his goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade. In this engrossing, fast-paced epic, Douglas Brinkley returns to the 1960s to recreate one of the most exciting and ambitious achievements in the history of humankind. American Moonshot brings together the extraordinary political, cultural, and scientific factors that fueled the birth and development of NASA and the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects, which shot the United States to victory in the space race against the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Drawing on new primary source material and major interviews with many of the surviving figures who were key to America's success, Brinkley brings this fascinating history to life as never before. American Moonshot is a portrait of the brilliant men and women who made this giant leap possible, the technology that enabled us to propel men beyond earth's orbit to the moon and return them safely, and the geopolitical tensions that spurred Kennedy to commit himself fully to this audacious dream. Brinkley's ensemble cast of New Frontier characters include rocketeer Wernher von Braun, astronaut John Glenn and space booster Lyndon Johnson. A vivid and enthralling chronicle of one of the most thrilling, hopeful, and turbulent eras in the nation's history, American Moonshot is an homage to scientific ingenuity, human curiosity, and the boundless American spirit. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)629.40973Technology Engineering Other branches of engineering AstronauticsLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4.11)
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