American Moonshot Young Readers' Edition: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race

by Douglas Brinkley

Overview

In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, New York Times bestselling author and historian Douglas Brinkley delivers a young readers’ edition of a story rooted in heroism, bravery, and patriotism: America’s race to the moon.

July 20, 1969. It’s a day that has earned a spot in history. It’s the day that America was the first nation to succeed in sending two astronauts—Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong—to the moon.

But what led to this unforgettable event? What were the stakes riding on the Apollo 11’s safe landing? In acclaimed author Douglas Brinkley’s first young readers' edition, space fans will get the riveting and factual backstory of arguably the most significant achievement of the 20th century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062660299
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/14/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	158,103
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.62(h) x (d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Douglas Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, a CNN Presidential Historian, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.  In the world of public history, he serves on boards, at museums, at colleges, and for historical societies. The Chicago Tribune dubbed him “America’s New Past Master.” The New-York Historical Society has chosen Brinkley as its official U.S. Presidential Historian. His recent book Cronkite won the Sperber Prize, while The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast received the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He was awarded a Grammy for Presidential Suite and is the recipient of seven honorary doctorates in American studies. His two-volume, annotated Nixon Tapes recently won the Arthur S. Link–Warren F. Kuehl Prize. He is a member of the Century Association, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three children.

 www.douglasbrinkley.com

Table of Contents

Part I Rockets

Chapter 1 The New Ocean 3

Chapter 2 Reaching beyond the Sky 11

Chapter 3 Rocketing into Battle 22

Chapter 4 Racing against the Third Reich 35

Chapter 5 Every Man for Himself 46

Chapter 6 A New Enemy 54

Part II Generation Sputnik

Chapter 7 And Then There Were Two 65

Chapter 8 Into the Space Race 72

Chapter 9 Sputnik Revolution 84

Chapter 10 Keeping Up with the Kremlin 94

Chapter 11 Closing the Gap 100

Chapter 12 Mercury Seven to the Rescue 112

Chapter 13 Kennedy for President 117

Part III Moonbound

Chapter 14 Setting the Course at NASA 131

Chapter 15 The First Men in Space 137

Chapter 16 We're Going to the Moon 146

Chapter 17 Gearing Up for a Lunar Voyage 154

Chapter 18 Laying the Groundwork 160

Chapter 19 Godspeed, John Glenn 167

Chapter 20 Peace in Space 173

Part IV Projects Gemini and Apollo

Chapter 21 Not Because It Is Easy 185

Chapter 22 Winning at Any Cost 192

Chapter 23 Staying Moonbound 203

Chapter 24 Astronauts and Cosmonauts Together 211

Chapter 25 Task Accomplished 218

Source Notes 231

Bibliography 257

Editorial Reviews

06/26/2020

Gr 3–7—This young readers' edition of Brinkley's adult best seller examines the history and development of rocket ship technology alongside John F. Kennedy's rise to political power and his dedication to the Space Race. Brinkley begins with two parallel streams of history that slowly but surely intersect. Starting with the development of rocket technology in the 20th century, readers learn about rocket engineering as it was developed during World War II and the American acquisition of key Nazi research that advanced their rocket capabilities. Brinkley details the rise of Kennedy as a political candidate and eventual president. Kennedy had been critical of his predecessor's progress on rocket technology and spoke often of the missile and space gaps. Once elected, his story became entwined with the Space Race, as he famously declared, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth." Politics and science are deftly balanced and presented in a way that will appeal to young history enthusiasts, particularly those interested in the Cold War and space technology. VERDICT Brinkley is known for his thorough research and engaging writing style, both of which are on full display in this snapshot of the Space Race. Recommended for middle and high school collections where scholarly nonfiction is in demand.—Kristy Pasquariello, Westwood P.L., MA

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