Product Description

Award-winning historian Piers Bizony explodes the US space programme mythology and unveils the man who gave up everything to win the Space Race.

In spring 1961 former Washington bureaucrat and businessman James E. Webb took charge of the grandest exploration project ever known: America’s bid for the Moon. He persuaded a reluctant John F. Kennedy to support him and gained control of 5 per cent of the US federal budget. Dispensing largesse and calling in favours, Webb’s NASA supervised half a million workers across America as they built new machines, launch pads and control centres.

But in 1967 a spacecraft caught fire, and three astronauts died. The press began to investigate, exposing a series of failures and delays, as well as the profiteering of Webb’s business partners. To protect NASA’s future, Webb faced interrogations by journalists and politicians, and shouldered the blame for the corruption and deaths. His sacrifice enabled his colleagues to continue their work and land on the Moon by the end of the decade. America had won the Space Race – but the name of the man who made it possible was wiped from history.

Conducting extensive interviews and drawing on original sources only recently released, acclaimed space historian and journalist Piers Bizony tells the fascinating story of the unconventional, charismatic man who made one giant leap for mankind.

Praise for Piers Bizony’s Starman: The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin:

‘A riveting account which brilliantly captures the atmosphere of the time: a sustained mixture of Russian cruelty and last-minute human compassion.’
The European

‘Definitely worth reading.’
Daily Telegraph

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102069 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Synopsis
This is a brilliant popular history which will appeal to the huge audience of Andrew Smith's "Moondust." It is written by a rising popular science star - a journalist who writes widely. It is a well-reviewed on hardback publication. Space historian Piers Bizony explodes NASA's 1960s mythology and unveils the man who gave up everything to win the space race. Neil Armstrong will forever be the first man on the Moon. But the person most responsible for putting him there is, incredibly, unknown. In 1961 James Webb, a South Carolina lawyer, took charge of America's bid for the Moon. Persuading a reluctant JFK and gaining control of 5 per cent of the US budget, Webb's NASA supervised half a million workers building new machines, launch pads and control centres. But in 1967, a spacecraft fire killed three astronauts. The press exposed numerous failures and delays, as well as Webb's business partners' profiteering. Webb shouldered the blame and his sacrifice enabled the Moon landing in 1969, but his name was wiped from history.

Conducting extensive interviews and drawing on recently released original sources, Bizony tells the fascinating hidden story of the unconventional, charismatic man who made one giant leap for mankind.

About the Author
Piers Bizony is a science journalist and space historian who writes for magazines such as Focus and Wired as well as the Independent. His award-winning book on Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey was described as ‘full of sparkling enthusiasm’ by the New Scientist and ‘excellent, in every way worthy of Kubrick’s original precision-crafted vision’ by the Evening Standard.

Customer Reviews

A revealing story
Very good book; revealing, convincing and well written. It has corrected my earlier belief that the moon-landing project was driven top-down by the Kennedy administration. This book reveals the complex politics involved and it was fortuitous that NASA had Webb to handle the complex political wheeling and dealing to get the project off the ground.

Extremely interesting
I bought this book on a whim after a brief review in the BBC Focus magazine. I'm not much of a reader as I find my degree studies take my enthusiasm away from reading other material.

I have just finished it within 3 days and I was blown away. It is (in my opinion) very well written and gives an amazing insight into a fantastic age in space travel that is almost forgotten. It also helps the user understand the power stuggles in Washington when funding needed to secured.

Overall, this book does James Webb very proud - what an amazing man.