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alexan13's review against another edition
4.0
Well written and engaging, but I felt that rather than simply analyzing and explaining the ways in which the moonshot came from and was utilized in the ideology of American exceptionalism, the author bought into this premise. As such, I couldn't help rolling my eyes at some paragraphs of 'analysis' throughout. With the note to always read critically, I still recommend this book if you're interested in the subject.
maxschuman's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
2.75
I thought it would be a book about the space program -instead it was really a book about JFK and how he interacted with it, which was a pretty narrow scope for a fairly long book (it does have detours into the history of rocketry and some other characters). I learned some stuff but not sure it’ll change my life.
The book clearly has the position that JFK was a (maybe the?) key to going to the moon and lays out a lot of examples of both political calculation and genuine personal interest that led him down that path. I’m not 100% sure I buy that a different person in his position at the same time couldn’t have led to the same outcome. I wouldn’t have minded a little more explicit argument of this rather than just pure narrative, as it is a good test case for a classic historical debate about whether the great people drive history or whether they are along for the ride.
The book clearly has the position that JFK was a (maybe the?) key to going to the moon and lays out a lot of examples of both political calculation and genuine personal interest that led him down that path. I’m not 100% sure I buy that a different person in his position at the same time couldn’t have led to the same outcome. I wouldn’t have minded a little more explicit argument of this rather than just pure narrative, as it is a good test case for a classic historical debate about whether the great people drive history or whether they are along for the ride.
schkel22's review against another edition
3.0
Learned a lot about Space Race and JFK. Lot to read, though, but interesting.
brandifox's review against another edition
4.0
A great read for any space nerds who want to understand how the Cold War, JFK, and operation paperclip got us to space. Brilliantly told.
rosalyn007's review
5.0
It truly is an otherworldly, almost unbelievable feat that man has gone to the moon, and it was not a miracle, but 50+ years in the making, powered by passion, intellect, and good ol' politicking. I'm not so interested in the technical aspects of space travel as I am learning about the audacity, ingenuity and perseverance of mankind and what we can achieve when we put our mind to something worth doing. This book does exactly that by focusing on the scientists and politicians who were the linchpins or champions of NASA and their manned space programs, and the unique societal and cultural forces of the 1960s that aided the mission along.
Brinkley elegantly guides the reader through the history of rocket science, from way back in the 1800s when it was introduced in a Jules Verne sci-fi, to the 1920s when Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocket science, shot his homemade rocket in the backyard of his aunt's farmhouse, to the nascence of NASA and onwards, framed through JFK's ascent to and time in the presidency.
I very much enjoyed the book, but by framing it through JFK's eyes or his involvement meant that the culmination of all the work, which was to put the Apollo team on the moon, was actually rushed/glossed over in the book because...well, JFK was killed years before the "american moonshot" happened. I wanted to read in detail how that mission went, but it was only mentioned in a few pages in the epilogue, so that was disappointing. Overall though, this was a 5 star read, I learned so much!
Brinkley elegantly guides the reader through the history of rocket science, from way back in the 1800s when it was introduced in a Jules Verne sci-fi, to the 1920s when Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocket science, shot his homemade rocket in the backyard of his aunt's farmhouse, to the nascence of NASA and onwards, framed through JFK's ascent to and time in the presidency.
I very much enjoyed the book, but by framing it through JFK's eyes or his involvement meant that the culmination of all the work, which was to put the Apollo team on the moon, was actually rushed/glossed over in the book because...well, JFK was killed years before the "american moonshot" happened. I wanted to read in detail how that mission went, but it was only mentioned in a few pages in the epilogue, so that was disappointing. Overall though, this was a 5 star read, I learned so much!
queenholly's review against another edition
3.0
Yeah, it's about the space program. However, I found it to be more of a thinly veiled review of Kennedy's political career. History does not come naturally to some of us, and requires the help of someone who can make it come alive. This author is not one of those people, and I found the book to be a dry recounting of a lot of facts, date, and names that are destined to never take root in my memory. I'd like to give it 2 stars, but I suspect I may not be qualified to do so, having confessed to my history handicap.