Epic Rivalry: The Inside Story of the Soviet and American Space Race - Softcover

Hardesty, Von

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1426203217 ISBN 13: 9781426203213

Publisher: National Geographic, 2008

Synopsis

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969, they personified an almost unimaginable feat—the incredibly complex task of sending humans safely to another celestial body. This extraordinary odyssey, which grew from the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, was galvanized by the Sputnik launch in 1957. Written by Smithsonian curator Von Hardesty and researcher Gene Eisman, Epic Rivalry tells the story from both the American and the Russian points of view, and shows how each space-faring nation played a vital role in stimulating the work of the other. Scores of rare, unpublished, and powerful photographs recall the urgency and technical creativity of both nations’ efforts. The authors recreate in vivid detail the “parallel universes” of the two space exploration programs, with visionaries Wernher von Braun and Sergei Korolev and political leaders John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev at the epicenters. The conflict between countries, and the tense drama of their independent progress, unfolds in vivid prose. Approaching its subject from a uniquely balanced perspective, this important new narrative chronicles the epic race to the moon and back as it has never been told before—and captures the interest of casual browsers and science, space, and history enthusiasts alike.

About this title

About the Author

Von Hardesty is a curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. He has written widely on aerospace history. His books include Great Aviators and Epic.

Edition details

• Publisher: National Geographic
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1426203217
• ISBN 13: 9781426203213
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304