American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race

Some may balk at the fact that the titular moonshot does not appear until this book's epilogue. Aside from the final 20 or so pages, the bulk of American Moonshot is dedicated to deconstructing the sheer amount of work, political will, money, and intelligence that went into making it possible -- all told, in the span of less than 10 years.

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 show more 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. show less

Right off the top, this book was absolutely not what I expected it to be. I fully expected a history of the Apollo program, with a little background colour as to how we got there.

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 show more 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. show less

American Moonshot is a wonderful and detailed look at John F. Kennedy and the influence he had on the American space program. Douglas Brinkley weaves an exciting narrative around Kennedy, Wernher von Braun, Lyndon Johnson, and all of the astronauts, bureaucrats, engineers, and everybody else who was responsible to bring about the US Space program and to undertake Kennedy's bold vision of "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth". Told generally chronologically, the early part of the book tells dual narratives of Kennedy and von Braun as well as the other early pioneers of rocketry. As World War II end the narrative switches to be more focused on Kennedy, first as a member of congress, then his campaign for show more president, and his presidency.

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. show less

The politics behind the story.

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.

3.7 Took me a while to get through this. Mostly things I already knew, but a good summary of the events leading up to the founding of the space program and they trip to the moon before the end of the decade.

LOVED this book! Douglas Brinkley tells the behind-the-scenes story of the space race: how Eisenhower thought it was a waste of time and money, and how JFK saw the potential.

The fiftieth anniversary of the first lunar landing inspires the acclaimed historian to take a fresh look at the American space program, at President John Kennedy’s inspiring challenge, and at the race to the moon.

Drawing on new primary source material, Douglas Brinkley brings this fascinating history to life as he turns the spotlight on the men and women who made this giant leap possible while exploring the technology and the political tensions of the time.

Readers will find much to appreciate in this living history that chronicles one of our nation’s most thrilling events as it pays homage to the scientists and engineers whose magnificent efforts embody the curiosity and spirit of America.

Highly recommended.