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

If you want a history lesson starting in the 1940's then this seems to offer a good one. If you want to know more on the actual space missions and how they came to happen, just read the second (and easily less dry) half of the book!

A tremendous work, detailing the involvement of John F. Kennedy in the development, articulations, and budgeting for the Mercury, Gemini, and ultimately Apollo series of launches culminating in the first man landing on the moon, within the decade promised by JFK. Not all roses and Camelot, the book describes many of the back-channel negotiations and fights that were involved. A damned good read.

This thick brick of a book crashes on the launch pad. It has precious little to do with Apollo 11, the moon landing or the ultimate achievement of Kennedy's bold pledge. It's an endless tick-tock of NASA's early years. I had to spare myself the agony of getting buried in the steamy Florida weeds. It's really only possible to dip in and out of various chapters. One more edit would have helped.

I thoroughly enjoyed Douglas Brinkley's book "American Moonshot." As an aerospace engineer myself, I thought I already knew a lot about Apollo. Turns out, there was much for me to learn!The book does cover the important ideas of the engineering technologies, but it presents them in a way a non-engineer could understand. I was impressed by the accuracy and attention to technical detail. In addition, I was fascinated to learn how Apollo was not just a feat of engineering, but one of politics. JFK's articulation of a national vision and the behind-the-scenes politics that Brinkley describes truly made possible the moon landing within the decade. I had not appreciated how pivotal that convergence of policy and engineering was to NASA. Reflecting on NASA's new plans to return to the moon and fly to Mars, I think the historical lessons in "American Moonshot" ought to serve as a guide for how to bring out the best of our nation.I would highly recommend this book to everyone, aerospace engineers and non-engineers alike. Brinkley brings the story of the rockets, the engineers who built them, and the politicians of the Apollo era to life in a unique and engaging way. 10/10 Rocket scientist approved!If it speaks louder than my words, I would note that this is the first time I've felt compelled to write an Amazon review. In addition, I bought 10 more copies of "American Moonshot" to share with my friends and family, many of whom also work in the space industry.

The book came really fast. I was very happy with the purchase. I would not hesitate to buy from them again. Thanks!