Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivalries That Ignited the Space Age - Hardcover

Brzezinski, Matthew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 080508147X ISBN 13: 9780805081473

Publisher: Times Books, 2007

Synopsis

Goes behind the scenes to describe how the fierce political battles between those on both sides of the Cold War conflict spawned the space race, discussing the implications of the 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in terms of the battle between the two superpowers to put a man on the moon, in a study honoring the fiftieth anniversary of the Sputnik launch. 100,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

" In our fear of terrorist attacks, we forget there was an even more panicky time-- when Russia' s Sputnik first sped across the night sky in October 1957, signaling that the Soviet Union could launch nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States. By plumbing Russian as well as American sources, Matthew Brzezinski has given us a vivid, insightful account of that paranoid age." -- Evan Thomas, author of "Sea"" of ""Thunder" and coauthor of "The Wise Men""" " Matthew Brzezinski' s "Red Moon Rising" fills a significant hole in our understanding of the Cold War. Using the Sputnik launch as his centerpiece, Brzezinski brilliantly flashes back and forth between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. A truly gripping, important book." -- Douglas Brinkley, author of "The Great Deluge" and "The Boys of Pointe du Hoc"
""
" Matthew Brzezinski' s reportorial skills and smooth writing propel the narrative forward at the perfect pitch. "Red Moon Rising" is a combustibly entertaining mixture of scientific daring, politics, Cold War duels, and big-time personalities." -- Neal Bascomb, author of "Red Mutiny"
" Matthew Brzezinski has crafted a dazzling account of the people and events that led to the world's first earth satellite. It is one of the most important stories of the twentieth century, and Brzezinski tells it supremely well. His account not only tells us how the Russians did it, but how the Americans, bewildered at first, finally got going with their own space program. It is historical storytelling at its finest, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. In a word: Prodigious!" -- HomerHickam, author of "Rocket Boys" ("October Sky")
“In our fear of terrorist attacks, we forget there was an even more panicky time—when Russia’s Sputnik first sped across the night sky in October 1957, signaling that the Soviet Union could launch nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States. By plumbing Russian as well as American sources, Matthew Brzezinski has given us a vivid, insightful account of that paranoid age.”—Evan Thomas, author of "Sea"" of ""Thunder" and coauthor of "The Wise Men""" 

“Matthew Brzezinski’s "Red Moon Rising" fills a significant hole in our understanding of the Cold War. Using the Sputnik launch as his centerpiece, Brzezinski brilliantly flashes back and forth between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. A truly gripping, important book.”—Douglas Brinkley, author of "The Great Deluge" and "The Boys of Pointe du Hoc"

"" 

“Matthew Brzezinski’s reportorial skills and smooth writing propel the narrative forward at the perfect pitch. "Red

"In our fear of terrorist attacks, we forget there was an even more panicky time--when Russia's Sputnik first sped across the night sky in October 1957, signaling that the Soviet Union could launch nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States. By plumbing Russian as well as American sources, Matthew Brzezinski has given us a vivid, insightful account of that paranoid age."--Evan Thomas, author of "Sea"" of ""Thunder" and coauthor of "The Wise Men"""

"Matthew Brzezinski's "Red Moon Rising" fills a significant hole in our understanding of the Cold War. Using the Sputnik launch as his centerpiece, Brzezinski brilliantly flashes back and forth between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. A truly gripping, important book."--Douglas Brinkley, author of "The Great Deluge" and "The Boys of Pointe du Hoc"

""

"Matthew Brzezinski's reportorial skills and smooth writing propel the narrative forward at the perfect pitch. "Red Moon Rising" is a combustibly entertaining mixture of scientific daring, politics, Cold War duels, and big-time personalities."--Neal Bascomb, author of "Red Mutiny"

"Matthew Brzezinski has crafted a dazzling account of the people and events that led to the world's first earth satellite. It is one of the most important stories of the twentieth century, and Brzezinski tells it supremely well. His account not only tells us how the Russians did it, but how the Americans, bewildered at first, finally got going with their own space program. It is historical storytelling at its finest, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. In a word: Prodigious!"--Homer Hickam, author of "Rocket Boys" ("October Sky")

"Brzezinski is a wonderfully colourful writer, combining a scientific plotline with the history and characters of a Cold War thriller." "--The Times "(London) "Fascinating and highly revealing . . . Riveting history, dramatically told.""--The Philadelphia Inquirer"

In our fear of terrorist attacks, we forget there was an even more panicky time--when Russia's Sputnik first sped across the night sky in October 1957, signaling that the Soviet Union could launch nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States. By plumbing Russian as well as American sources, Matthew Brzezinski has given us a vivid, insightful account of that paranoid age. "Evan Thomas, author of Sea of Thunder and coauthor of The Wise Men"

Matthew Brzezinski's "Red Moon Rising" fills a significant hole in our understanding of the Cold War. Using the Sputnik launch as his centerpiece, Brzezinski brilliantly flashes back and forth between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. A truly gripping, important book. "Douglas Brinkley, author of The Great Deluge and The Boys of Pointe du Hoc"

Matthew Brzezinski's reportorial skills and smooth writing propel the narrative forward at the perfect pitch. "Red Moon Rising" is a combustibly entertaining mixture of scientific daring, politics, Cold War duels, and big-time personalities. "Neal Bascomb, author of Red Mutiny"

Matthew Brzezinski has crafted a dazzling account of the people and events that led to the world's first earth satellite. It is one of the most important stories of the twentieth century, and Brzezinski tells it supremely well. His account not only tells us how the Russians did it, but how the Americans, bewildered at first, finally got going with their own space program. It is historical storytelling at its finest, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. In a word: Prodigious! "Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys (October Sky)"

Brzezinski is a wonderfully colourful writer, combining a scientific plotline with the history and characters of a Cold War thriller. "The Times (London)"

Fascinating and highly revealing . . . Riveting history, dramatically told. "The Philadelphia Inquirer""

"In our fear of terrorist attacks, we forget there was an even more panicky time--when Russia's Sputnik first sped across the night sky in October 1957, signaling that the Soviet Union could launch nuclear-tipped missiles at the United States. By plumbing Russian as well as American sources, Matthew Brzezinski has given us a vivid, insightful account of that paranoid age." --Evan Thomas, author of Sea of Thunder and coauthor of The Wise Men

"Matthew Brzezinski's Red Moon Rising fills a significant hole in our understanding of the Cold War. Using the Sputnik launch as his centerpiece, Brzezinski brilliantly flashes back and forth between Washington, D.C., and Moscow. A truly gripping, important book." --Douglas Brinkley, author of The Great Deluge and The Boys of Pointe du Hoc

"Matthew Brzezinski's reportorial skills and smooth writing propel the narrative forward at the perfect pitch. Red Moon Rising is a combustibly entertaining mixture of scientific daring, politics, Cold War duels, and big-time personalities." --Neal Bascomb, author of Red Mutiny

"Matthew Brzezinski has crafted a dazzling account of the people and events that led to the world's first earth satellite. It is one of the most important stories of the twentieth century, and Brzezinski tells it supremely well. His account not only tells us how the Russians did it, but how the Americans, bewildered at first, finally got going with their own space program. It is historical storytelling at its finest, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. In a word: Prodigious!" --Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys (October Sky)

"Brzezinski is a wonderfully colourful writer, combining a scientific plotline with the history and characters of a Cold War thriller." --The Times (London)

"Fascinating and highly revealing . . . Riveting history, dramatically told." --The Philadelphia Inquirer

From the Back Cover:

For the fiftieth anniversary of Sputnik, the behind-the-scenes story of the fierce battles on Earth that launched the superpowers into space.

The spy planes were driving Nikita Khrushchev mad. Whenever America wanted to peer inside the Soviet Union, it launched a U-2, which flew too high to be shot down. But Sergei Korolev, Russia's chief rocket designer, had a solution. On October 4, 1957, the launch of Korolev's satellite, Sputnik, stunned the world.

In Red Moon Rising, Matthew Brzezinski draws on original interviews and new documentary sources from both sides of the Cold War divide. He shows how Khrushchev and U.S. president Dwight Eisenhower were buffeted by crises of their own creation, leaving the door open to ambitious politicians to squabble over the heavens and the earth.

The true story of the birth of the space age has never been told in such dramatic detail, and Red Moon Rising brings it vividly and memorably to life.

About this edition

• Publisher: Times Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 080508147X
• ISBN 13: 9780805081473
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 322