Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivalries that Ignited the Space Age

by Matthew Brzezinski

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 riposte: an artificial satellite that would orbit the earth and cross American skies at will. On October 4, 1957, the launch of Korolev's satellite, Sputnik, stunned the world.


In Red Moon Rising, Matthew Brzezinski takes us inside the Kremlin, the White House, secret military facilities, and the halls of Congress to bring to life the Russians and Americans who feared and distrusted their compatriots as much as their superpower rivals. Drawing on original interviews and new documentary sources from both sides of the Cold War divide, he shows how Khrushchev and Dwight Eisenhower were buffeted by crises of their own creation, leaving the door open to ambitious politicians and scientists to squabble over the heavens and the earth. It is a story rich in the paranoia of the time, with combatants that included two future presidents, survivors of the gulag, corporate chieftains, rehabilitated Nazis, and a general who won the day by refusing to follow orders.


Sputnik set in motion events that led not only to the moon landing but also to cell phones, federally guaranteed student loans, and the wireless Internet. Red Moon Rising recounts the true story of the birth of the space age in dramatic detail, bringing it to life as never before.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Space, Science, Audiobook, Politics, Russia

336 pages, Hardcover

Published September 18, 2007

About the author

Matthew Brzezinski is a Polish-American writer. Matthew first worked as a journalist in Warsaw, writing for The New York Times and The Economist. He was a Wall Street Journal staff reporter in Moscow and Kiev in the late 1990s. Relocating to the US, he became a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, covering counter-terrorism in the aftermath of 9/11. His work has appeared in many other publications including The Washington Post Magazine, the LA Times, and Mother Jones.

Isaac's Army is Matthew's fourth book. His other works include Casino Moscow, Fortress America and Red Moon Rising(Winner of the Sir Arthur Clarke Award). He lives in Manchester-by-the-sea, Massachusetts with his wife, three children, and unruly malamute.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of the Sputnik satellite, Matthew Brzezinski took the time to write this comprehensive book about the entire experience, pulling on political and social perspectives to educate the curious reader. Brzezinski shows that this was far from being an isolated event, which helped to fuel the early years of Cold War weapons stockpiling, as well as sparking the race for space and how one might ‘colour the heavens’. As the dust was settling on the Second World War, Europe was emerging as a new region, divide into two ideological spheres. The USSR and USA stood before one another as two superpowers, each with their handful of allies, ready to dismiss the other’s ideology as faulty. With this, came the need to develop weapons in an effort not only to protect themselves, but also to flex each superpower’s technological muscles. With the dropping of nuclear bombs on the Japanese, the Americans had made the first move, though the Soviets were not about to take things lying down. Rather than focus solely on bombs, both sides wanted to develop an arsenal of missiles, strategically aimed at the other. With the technology at their fingertips—helped by some of the German scientists who sought refuge once their Nazi homeland was decimated—both sides created weapons with nuclear tips, likely some of the most deadly weapons that could be launched with ease. At the middle of this, US President Dwight Eisenhower sought to outmaneuver Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, though neither side could claim complete victory. Brzezinski explores the weapons development that both undertook, as well as some of the attempts by either side to spy on the progress being made. While the Americans had to create ultra-light spy planes to capture photos of some facilities, the Soviets remained baffled that American media outlets readily published news of their progress to the world through daily headlines. While ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) were being perfected, Soviet scientists were able to create something that could be launched into the sky and orbit the Earth with ease. When they were able to launch a satellite into orbit, they named it Sputnik and wondered how great a difference this would make to the larger technological battle. While the Americans panicked and Eisenhower hid from any journalist seeking a response, the Soviets only realised the impact they’d made when the world media began blasting the news out as fast as it could be synthesised. Brzezinski explores how both sides reacted to this news upon grasping its significance and how the Americans used this as a tossing of the gauntlet to encourage them to rush to new heights of weaponised readiness in the ever-developing Cold War. It was then that things got out of hand for all involved, with the Americans tripping over their own feet to wipe the egg of their faces. With Eisenhower still shaky on the entire premise, many within the American political sphere pushed harder to ensure that there would be a space program that could counter its Soviet cousin as soon as possible. Brzezinski has used extensive research to present this thorough piece in an attempt at educating the curious reader, while also memorialising the event on such a significant anniversary. Highly recommended for those who love political and military history set in a modern era.

While much has been written about the Cold War and the military clashes of the two superpowers, I was quite intrigued to read Matthew Brzezinski’s account of this key event. He explores its significance, not only from a weapons perspective, but also how this constant competition pushed the limits of technological advancements and brought humans to new and exciting realms. The dedicated reader will see the progression of this theme throughout, accentuating the impact of the space race in both countries. Brzezinski does a wonderful job of exploring the specifics of weapons and space technology without drowning in the reader in information. Brzezinski places this arms race in the middle of social change taking place in the United States, which contrasts nicely and explores some of the domestic struggles Eisenhower faced. Little Rock, Arkansas proved to be a key test in the Eisenhower presidency as he sought to desegregate the South, against the wishes of politicians from the region. This parallel development in history shows that Eisenhower could not focus all his attention on these significant changes, turning his gaze to the blood in the streets, rather than solely those stars in the distant sky. The narrative also shows that Eisenhower—key military figure in the Second World War—was out of his element in the advancement of military technology and the modern art of warfare. Brzezinski argues that Eisenhower needed to make some decisions well outside his comfort zone or face significant impediments in keeping America relevant as the Cold War progressed. With many key figures appearing throughout this narrative, the reader will notice many familiar names in the battle to push America and the Soviet Union towards a standoff, only years away. There is no doubt that the book focusses a great deal on the American perspective and explores the reactions of many US actors in the larger political drama. I can only speculate that research was limited from a Soviet perspective, though it is clear that Khrushchev has an iron fist and ruled with little chance for dissent. The narrative flows so well and keeps the reader enthralled throughout this piece. As mentioned above, while full of information, there is little time for the reader to get lost in the description, as the smooth delivery helps the layperson to better understand some of the more complex aspects of the story. Brzezinski has gone above and beyond to create a masterful piece that accentuates how far the two countries have come since then, leaving many to posit where things will go in the years to come.

Kudos, Mr. Brzezinski, for a great piece of non-fiction. I learned so much though was entertained in equal measure. I look forward to finding more of your work in the coming months.

This Book fulfills Topic #5, Equinoxy Thinkin’ (Moon) of the Equinox #5 Book Challenge.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Brendan Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

All that you didn't know about the history of the Soviet/American space race. Really, I am surprised that there aren't more books about this rather major event in world history but, it seems to me anyway, that Matthew Brzezinski is one of the very first to put the extraordinary events leading up to America's entering the space age on paper.

The journey is a rather straightforward, but enjoyable, one. If it drags in parts - particular in the beginning - it's because a certain level of detail is paid to the rocket mechanics. For a couple chapters at least, we can get away with saying that "it's rocket science." I, for one, was far more interested in the politics of the space race rather than the science behind it and luckily for me, though the book initially lacked some of the, uh, thrust I would have liked to see, it quickly shot off into the stratosphere!

My biggest takeaway would have to be the knowledge that it was Khrushchev who seemingly kicked off the space race, and only due to the persistence of one of the Soviet Union's - at the time - most undervalued scientists. American President Dwight Eisenhower shrugged off the launch of the world's first satellite but due to the widely held public perception that the United States was falling behind the Soviet Union, finally agreed to up the budget to allow America's newly formed - and, at the time, competing - space agencies to do the same. Oh, and that America's own entry into the space age was launched in largest part due to a former Nazi.

One bit of information I found quite telling, is a quote that Brzezinski includes from Tom Margerison, a British science writer on assignment in Moscow, who says about the "Sputnik" launch "Nowhere else would you find a people who are able to carry out a complex project like launching a satellite, involving the close cooperation of scientists and engineers from many disciplines, yet who prove quite unable to organize efficient butcher shops."

Ha! Russia in a nutshell.

All in all, an entertaining and educational read!

[Yibbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sputnik changed the world. This is an extremely detailed look at the events that preceded its launch and the American response. While it covers 1956-58 in the most detail, it starts with the scramble for German technology and scientists in 1945. Then it alternately follows Sergei Korolev and the Soviet missile program and Werner Von Braun and the American missile program. To give us a full understanding of the era and the incredible achievements of the Soviets, he delves into the political, social, and military conditions and well as the personalities all the major inventors, politicians, and officers involved.
I found it very interesting and informative, but a little slow in places.
I did get an odd feeling sometimes that he was slightly enamored of Khrushchev. While acknowledging that he was a mass murderer under Stalin, he still tried to cast him as just a peace-loving tyrant who only wanted to defend his homeland, with ICBMs.
There were serval curse words used throughout the book.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one who grew up during the raging years of the "Cold War" between the US and USSR, I was fascinated to read these insights into the foundation set during the early years of that standoff. The book covers a relatively brief period, about 1956-58, when the first artificial earth satellite (Sputnik) was launched by the Russians, up until the US launch of Explorer 1.

One fascinating aspect of this story was the relationship between development of military weapons (ICBM missiles that could deliver nuclear warheads to distant targets) and space launches. Some of that was reflected in the terror felt by Americans at the awareness of the Russian presence in space. And there were good insights into Russian politics as Khrushchev works to replace Stalin's influence, and American politics as Eisenhower's presidential power waned with his health and the various military branches competed to lead in missile development.

[Cassandra Kay Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. Perhaps it owes in part to the fact that I knew literally nothing about this time period in history or what exactly the space race meant in terms of politics and becoming a nuclear superpower. This was a fun way to open my eyes to the motivations behind some really amazing technology and a great jog into history with an informative and enjoyable author.

[Paul Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it a lot. If you are interesting in geeking out over the intricacies of the early years of the Soviet and US ICBM and space programmes, then this is the book for you. If you are not, it definitely isn't!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning with Russians and Americans scrambling to obtain as much German technology and as many German scientists as they can scrounge up in the dying days of WWII, this was a fascinating, very detailed look at the earliest days of the space race - and the simultaneous arms race that made it possible. Most histories of the space age that I've read tended to start rather than end with the first satellites launched into orbit and were, for the most part, largely concentrated on the American efforts. This was an excellent addition to all those works, very interesting and highly informative.

[Cropredy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting. Before I read this, what I knew of Sputnik could be summed up as "The Soviets launched a satellite before the US - that sent the US into panic and led to an increase in science education."

After reading this, which is well sourced with Soviet accounts as well as American, is a good history of the two sides' space programs, their debt to the German V2 program, and a whole lot of politics and political considerations that led to the eventual outcomes.

However dysfunctional you see the modern-day US political system in terms of proper allocation of resources to national priorities, rest assured that things were no better in the Eisenhower administration. And the Soviets had plenty of issues as well.

The book is well-written and moves along. And, the author does a good job of ending the book once the Americans finally got their first satellite in orbit.

I'm writing this days before we're about to see our first closeups of Pluto so it is interesting to go back less than 60 years to see how far we have come and how it all started.

How would I have improved the book? Most of the sources come from memoirs of major players - what we don't get are stories from lower level scientists, engineers, or project managers to flesh out the account. This is nitpicking and shouldn't stop you from reading this if you're interested in the early space race.

[Michael Flanagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming into this book with little knowledge of the story of Sputnik I was not sure what I was going to find. What I got was a great story about the early years of the Cold War. The author goes to great length to give the reader a great sense of what it was like to live in these times.

From the end of World War II to the late 50's the story of Sputnik goes way beyond this watershed moment in history. Like a best-selling thriller the narrative is a delicate web of numerous stories all linking to deliver a fantastic story. This book delivers a story that in many ways exemplifies the Cold War.

[Denis Onichshenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to space race between United States and USSR during pre-NASA period. It starts from the end of WW2 and ends with the launch of first American satellite (Exploler 1-Juno). It's very light read, but because of that it's doesn't dive too deep into technological aspects of rocket building. As a history piece it does a little better describing hysteria of cold war and inter-agency rivalry in US, but again it's particularly detailed on those subjects. Overall I would recommend this as an introduction to the era, but if you have a specific interest or simply want a more detailed technical read, keep looking.

[Tim Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable popular history book (with some science and engineering) that covers the beginnings of the Space Age. The book covered the technical, scientific, and political challenges in launching the first artificial satellites, both in the United States and the Soviet Union. Though at first glance one might think there is a lot of political and historical coverage, of the Cold War, the Eisenhower administration, the rising stars of Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, of Nikita Khrushchev, the U2 overflights of the Soviet Union, even President Eisenhower sending the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock Central High School in September 1957 to enforce a Supreme Court desegregation ruling, all of these things are the world in which decisions were made to create and launch the first satellites and all had their sometimes surprising role to play.

Also, all of these were in some way in turn affected by the “hidden hand” of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, in many ways the star of the book, a man often poorly known at the time in the Soviet Union and pretty much completely unknown in the West, but the man most responsible for basically starting the Space Race, for the design and launch of the first satellite Sputnik 1, the creation and launch of the R-7 Rocket, which in addition to putting Sputnik into space was the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the launching of the dog Laika on Sputnik 2, the first living creature sent into a space…a man who set into motion a number of vast changes to the world. The launch of Sputnik (and the demonstration of the Soviet Union having a working ICBM) had huge effects, with the author showing how Korolev’s triumphs led or greatly influenced such things as the U.S. rigorously pursuing its own ICBMs to the birth of NASA to rise in importance of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama to rising political fortunes of Nixon and LBJ to the Cuban Missile Crisis to even the birth of federal student loans for college students.

The book isn’t just a biography of Korolev, as important as he is, as there were other people very important in the birth of the Space Age. Khrushchev figures prominently in the book, as does Wernher von Braun (almost at times as much a biography of him as Korolev, with the author not shying away from discussing his Nazi past and opening up the book with quite a bit on the V-2 rockets) and General John Bruce Medaris, first commander of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, a man who had von Braun under his supervision and was key in launching America's first satellite, Explorer 1, on 1 February 1958 from a Juno I rocket (after the repeated failures of the U.S.’s Vanguard rocket program, also well covered in the book).

A great read, it was eye opening to read how much interservice rivalry in the U.S. got in the way of the first satellite launches and how both Eisenhower and Khrushchev were essentially unimpressed with the first satellite and the birth of the Space Age, with Eisenhower and even the American people having to be prompted by the press to realize both how important this was and how terrifying it was too.

[Lauren Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! Brzezinski starts with the race to find and arrest (kidnap? Not sure the right verb here) the rocket scientists in a rapidly falling Germany, takes us through the development of the Soviet R7 and ultimate launch of Sputnik, and ends with the belated launch of the US Army’s Explorer 1 aboard the rebranded Juno 1 rocket. Throughout this ride, Brzezinski pulls no punches. He addresses many sensitive topics of the time including the USSR’s astonishing ability to build a rocket while being unable to feed their people, the self-defeating (and incredibly expensive) rivalry between the US Navy and Air Force in rocket development, Eisenhower’s inability/refusal to acknowledge and respond to the significance of Sputnik on the average American’s sense of security, and the effective sheltering of Von Braun and his colleagues from war crimes proceedings.

The book also necessarily provided a basic overview of the political theatre that was the USSR in the 1950s. It touches on Khrushchev’s rise to power, the “secret speech” and its effect on the USSR and its satellites, the power struggle Khrushchev barely survived in 1957, his tidy disposal of Zhukov, and his ultimate retirement to become the first documented Russian leader not to die in office. The book also spent some time discussing soviet defense doctrine and Khrushchev’s vision of the missile countering the threat posed by the US bombers.

Overall, a great book. I forgot how much I like Russian history.

[Christina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Space race, politics, cold war, how the civil rights movement is involved? What else could I want, and it mostly delivered! It got a little too technical at times about how rockets work, but the politics were fascinating.

Notes:
- Nazi involvement in the US (and Soviet) side of the space race was super interesting. It's insane that an SS officer led our rocket programs. As with most politics, it's really complicated, and that's a good reminder for me.
- Reminded me how inefficient government systems can be. There was a part where they talked about how surprised the Americans were that the soviets got a satellite up before them, because they didn't believe the Russians could accomplish something like that, but in reality, authoritarian governments are good at science and discovery because it takes a state-pushed agenda and support to make something like that happen (like the Manhattan Project in the US). Bad at commerce, good at science.
- The international politics were fascinating, and the internal politics were incredibly frustrating.
- Epilogue was really interesting-- they continue the Space Race narrative but how the US/Soviet governments essentially just traded embarrassments and accomplishments

[cellomerl · Rating 3 out of 5]

“It’s called Sputnik!”
Lots of colourful personalities here, all the men who drove the space race, which was inextricable from the arms race. Detailed descriptions of the workings of the rickets built by Stalin’s minions and Hitler’s cronies. Far scarier than the Cold War is the description of the machinations and life under Soviet communism and its glorious planned economy. Read this and weep for today, as communism rears its hideous head, because it’ll be you and me someday soon.
Audiobook. Good use of the opening bars of Holst’s masterpiece “Mars, Bringer of War”.

[Zombaby Cera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Current events launched my interest in this book. It was interesting to see what happened behind the scenes during the early part of the space race. Right now I feel badly for Russian scientists, after reading about how closely politics are connected to much of what they can or cannot do - and now Putin is making their country a pariah, which could hinder Russian scientists in how they interact with their international peers. I fear their country will regress a hundred years. It's a horrible state for a country with such a legacy of brave and brilliant minds.

[Smjohns78 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this fascinating. The beginnings of the space race were even more murky and fly by the seat of your pants then I had realized. I find it amazing that any thing good was able to come out of it.

[Bagus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers the political situation both in the Soviet Union and the United States during the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite in 1957. I’ve always been fascinated by space and even considered taking astronomy major during my last year in high school, but little did I know that there’s this complicated political intrigues behind the launch of Sputnik. And the technology behind that could be traced back to the V-2 rocket developed in Nazi Germany by the rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and his team.

Von Braun would then be recruited to the US Army to develop rockets for the US using the remnants of the V-2 captured in Mittelwerk which was discovered by the US before that area in Thuringia was turned into part of Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany. The Soviet would then only got the leftover and developed their own rocket under the leadership of Chief Designer Sergei Korolev. It is interesting to note that this book states the fact that science and technology could develop faster under an authoritarian regime like the USSR, while an open society like the US might be more suitable for small consumer goods. This point has also been reiterated by von Braun who earned full support under Nazi Germany for the development of V-2 and whose career lagged behind for a while under US bureaucracy.

Another factor to see the reason why the US lagged behind in satellite development is that there’s no clear direction about which organisation is responsible in handling this project as there were competing factions from US Army and Navy for the development of missiles. The Soviet bureaucrats seemed to be more flexible in this regard with Sergei Korolev who was the architect behind Sputnik, as he also had direct line of communication with Nikita Khrushchev, the then Soviet leader.

It is funny to see that Sputnik was originally a side project to demonstrate nuclear capability of the USSR in using intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to strike any cities around the globe. Only after the media around the globe went frenzy over the hysteria after the launch of Sputnik on 4 October 1957 that Soviet leadership realised its historical and political significance. “Humanity finally managed to conquer space!” as they said.

I like how this book present a balanced account on both sides from Soviet and American perspectives. We can see the factors on why the Soviet managed to strike a satellite first instead of the US and why US response seemed to lag behind under Eisenhower’s administration. As this book was first published in 2007 commemorating 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, this is a big gem to the often overlooked period in history. I think there should be more books written in similar topic about space and its political aspects.

[Nikola Jankovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ova priča o iznenađujućem sovjetskom uspehu u ratu ko će prvi poslati satelit - a zatim i čoveka - u svemir, počinje krajem Drugog svetskog rata. Nemci su nakon razvoja V2 raketa u velikoj tehnološkoj prednosti pred svima. Kako čitaš o tim detaljima, o načinu kako usmeravaju raketu nakon lansiranja recimo, i shvatajući da je to rađeno bez računara... Verner von Braun, vođa nemačkog, a kasnije i američkog raketnog programa, ima u tom trenutku 24 (!) godine. Rat se bliži kraju, svima je jasno da je ovo stvarno čudesno oružje, pa tako počinje trka. Cilj Amerikanaca: skupiti 100 inženjera koji su radili na programu, i 100 sastavljenih raketa. U tome uspevaju.

Sovjeti su 1945. u velikom zaostatku. Ne samo što su ovi pokupili tehnologiju, uspostavljaju vlast u čitavoj istočnoj Evropi, bave se smanjivanjem siromaštva i gladi, već i Ameri prete svojim ogromnim bombarderima, nadleću sovjetski vazdušni prostor špijunskim avionima, povećavaju broj nuklearnih glava... Preko baza na Aljasci, u Evropi i na Grenlandu, mogu da izbombarduju ��itav Sovjetski savez, i to pre B52 bombardera. Rusi u to vreme nemaju odgovor, ali razvijaju balističke rakete, šta da rade... Sputnjik i razvoj satelita je zapravo usputni naučni projekat.

Amerikanci žestoko potcenjuju sovjetske mogućnosti i njihov naučni potencijal. Zbog toga su vesti o lansiranju Sputnjika bile toliko šokantne. Ne samo što je satelit poleteo, već je i deset puta teži od onog što oni Amerikanci mogu i teoretski da pretpostave da raketa može da ponese. Radi se o udaru na dignitet nauke slobodnog sveta, a s druge strane je veliki korak napred za komunizam. Dok se SAD bave rasnim problemima i nasiljem, na istoku cveta tehnika i nauka. "Dok mi pravimo automobile i gedžete, oni unapređuju nauku. Više cenimo fudbalere od naučnika, a TV voditelji su bolje plaćeni od profesora univerziteta."

Ali to nije sve - brzo nakon toga, Sovjeti u svemir šalju i živo biće. "Komunistički pas u svemiru," su natpisi američke štampe. "Šta je sledeće? Sovjeti na Marsu?" Lansiranje Sputnjika 1 (satelit) i 2 (Lajka) su bukvalno sahranili Ajzenhauera - za 6 nedelja popularnost mu je pala za 22 posto.

Sovjeti ne uspevaju da zadrže taj tempo, naravno, velikim ulaganjima Amerikanci smanjuju zaostatak. Jurij Gagarin je još jedan sovjetski uspeh, ali nakon toga, od reorganizacije u NASA-u, to je otprilike to.

Ovo je interesantna priča o interesantnim vremenima. Nije, naravno, vrhunska literatura - ali jeste fin dokumentarac sa mnogo detalja i interesantnih anekdota.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Moon Rising by Matthew Brzezinski is a tightly focused, well-researched, and surprisingly engaging chronicle of the opening moves in the geopolitical chess match we now know as the Space Race—back when rocket scientists were rockstars, Cold War paranoia was at a healthy boil, and launching metal objects into orbit could cause entire nations to reevaluate their life choices.

Brzezinski doesn’t attempt to retell the entire saga of U.S.-Soviet space rivalry in one bloated volume. Instead, he wisely zooms in on the years leading up to and immediately following the launch of Sputnik in 1957, a moment that sent Americans scrambling for their slide rules and checking under their beds for communists. The result is a refreshingly human look at the ambitions, miscalculations, and blind panic that gave birth to the modern space age.

The book succeeds not because it overwhelms the reader with technical minutiae or patriotic fanfare, but because Brzezinski understands the drama behind the science. His narrative is populated with vivid characters—politicians, engineers, military brass, and a few opportunists who suddenly found themselves part of history simply because they didn’t say “no” fast enough. And let’s be honest, it takes a special kind of writing talent to make Soviet bureaucracy feel like a thriller and American policy debates resemble a high-stakes poker game with global consequences.

What’s most striking is how Red Moon Rising captures the sheer panic Sputnik inspired—not just because the Soviets got to space first, but because they did it with a rocket that could, in theory, deliver more than just a shiny beeping orb. Brzezinski plays this tension masterfully, showing how a small metal ball kicked off massive investments in science, technology, and paranoia. All told, a pretty productive panic attack.

In a time when space exploration is mostly relegated to billionaires joyriding in suborbital phallic symbols, Brzezinski reminds us of an era when the stakes were a little higher and the motivations weren’t purely about boosting brand identity. This is history at its most precise: illuminating a narrow window of time with clarity, wit, and just enough Cold War intrigue to make you nostalgic for the days when our biggest fear was just mutual nuclear annihilation.

If you're looking for a serious yet accessible deep dive into how a beeping satellite turned into a cultural and strategic earthquake, Red Moon Rising delivers—without ever needing to strap you to a launchpad and explain orbital mechanics.

[Mbogo J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halfway through this I had to pause and admonish myself for letting this book sit on my To read shelf for over two years each time losing to seemingly "worthy" books. Reading this reminded me that sometimes it becomes as clear as daybreak that the best use of your time is reading. We all have had those bad reading experiences where reading the book is migraine inducing, the content might not be your forte, the choice of words drab.... This book is the opposite of that.

It combines prose found in literature, the geopolitics of the cold war and the race to send the first satellite into space. If you enjoy these subjects then this book should never sit on your shelf gathering dust as you slog through some sketchy Dostoevsky or get reminded a million more times that austerity is not a good idea.

Brzezinski was fair in his story. He did not show disdain to either super power and showed that the follies of the political class in both countries on more than one occasion derailed the start of the space age. The best part of the book is that he put faces to the ideas and accomplishments, we might all be familiar with Van Braun but before this I did not know his Soviet equivalent; Sergei Korolev who was equally talented and untainted by Nazi bloodshed. Sergei identity remained classified throughout his life and he never received the credit that was due to him. I hope he was proud of himself (given his temperament, I suspect he was)

I would recommend this to a niche group, you have to be either interested in the geopolitics of the cold war or the mechanics of an intercontinental ballistic missile, if these are not your interests, you might not like it but if they are...

[Kursad Albayraktaroglu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meticulously researched, very comprehensive and fascinating history of the first artificial satellite (Sputnik I) ; "Red Moon Rising" covers an important period starting with the transfer of V-2 technology and culminating with the launch of Explorer - America's response to Sputnik. Matthew Brzezinski did a masterful job in giving enough technical details to keep the technically-oriented readers engaged, while emphasizing the intricate political games and power struggles in both Soviet Union and the US during the race to develop a rocket that can reach space.

I particularly liked the way the author introduces the somewhat crowded cast of characters; many of whom are undoubtedly larger-than-life and have whole books dedicated to their biographies (von Braun, Korolev, Khrushchev and others). I wish Brzezinski wrote a follow-on to this book which covers the later years of the space race - perhaps starting at the aftermath of the Explorer launch all the way to Apollo 13. Thankfully there are other books which cover this period very well, such as Space Race: The Epic Battle Between America and the Soviet Union for Dominion of Space".

Highly recommended to anyone interested in the history of space exploration.

[Tanwen Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant book. The narrative covers the beginning of the space race: starting from the Nazi rocket scientists being pulled out of Germany after WWII and ending with the launch of the first US satellite.

I was expecting the book to be entirely about the Russian missile programme, but the book actually deals with both Soviet and US sides of things equally. It also delves into the world politics that shaped – and were shaped by – the Space Race. I knew virtually nothing about the Cold War, so this background information really helped to put everything into context.

There's also a very human side to this. The book isn't about engine sizes and telling you the precise engineering specs of a rocket. It's about, as the subtitle suggests, the people. The hopes and dreams of the rocket engineers that led people to space, the pettiness that held it back and the political insecurities that lead the Space Age to become the Space Race.

The writing is very readable, never descending into jargon with out a good explanation first. It also manages to keep the suspense, which is always impressive in a history book where we all know the ending.

If you are interested in learning about the role that early space played in the Cold War, then you can't go far wrong with this one.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sergei Pavlovich Korolev ought to be one of the most famous men of the entire 20th century. He was certainly one of the most influential. Without him, there would’ve been no Sputnik and without Sputnik, the American space program would have been much less than it was. There probably would’ve been no moon landing in 1969 and no NASA. Who knows what the history of modern space exploration would have looked like. We’d probably be decades behind where we are.

It’s understandable if you’ve never heard of Korolev. On account of the rather over-the-top Soviet paranoia that rendered his very identity was a state secret, the Chief Designer is barely known today outside of Russia. I suspect he’s probably a well-known national hero there. He certainly ought to be.

In this book we get an inside view of the Kremlin during that time period, the struggle for power after Stalin’s death as well as the struggle to launch the world’s first artificial satellite. We also get a look inside the Eisenhower administration and see how the launch of Sputnik and its successor, in which the Russians roasted a dog, changed the course of American policy on rocketry and space exploration.

There are lots of books about the American space program. This one fills in some of the gaps from the other side.

This is an important historical document and is well worth the read.

[Bjarke Knudsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling read. I previously read the more voluminous book Cold War published in the same series, and enjoyed it a lot. Hence, it was an obvious opportunity that arrived when I spotted this tome in a bargain bin. It took me a few weeks to get around to reading it, but once I did, I could not put it down. It is simply smashing. Well-written, impeccably researched, and with a very rational portrayal of both sides of the struggle. Brzezinski has done excellently with his portrayal of the power struggles, the political theatrics and the day-to-day trials and tribulations that built up to the succesful launch of the Sputnik - and the failure of the US Navy's "Kaputnik".

The testimony from Sergei Khruschev, who experienced the whole debacle first-hand while studying engineering at the behest of his father, makes it all the more worthwhile.

A definite must-read.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous book that truly tells the story of the birth of the "space race" and the launching of the first satellites. This book also covers very deeply the development of the first rockets/missiles by the Soviet Union and the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. It gets into the personalities and actions of the men who developed the missiles and ran the organizations that built them.
The inviting, the resistance, the sacrifices, the blunders and the great steps forward are all described.
Both sides are covered very deeply, so whether you are Russian, American, or just a space enthusiast, this is the book for you.
The author really gets into the back rounds of Eisenhower and Khrushchev, and the political opposition that they had to face. There are interesting backstories of the German V-2 rocket program, how Khrushchev was pushed out of power, and just how far the popular IKE's ratings dropped after Sputnik was launched!
This is a great book, this one stays on my library shelf.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a history is so well written it reads like a thriller. This is an exemplar of that achievement. IN 1957 the space race is on between the US and Soviet Union, except the US doesn't even know there is a race. In fact both country's leaders fail to comprehend the prestige value of putting the first satellite into orbit despite having suitable rockets ready to go, but only the Russian team gets the reluctant go-ahead. As in a Tom Clancy potboiler, the chapters alternate between characters, leaving you eager to see what the other side is up to. My one nitpick is that the final chapter plays up how Korolev's R-7 rocket was a failure in its original purpose as a weapon, requiring a lengthy and vulnerable fueling process. This leaves out the significant fact that it is the most produced and reliable rocket in history, having launched every cosmonaut ever put in space to this day. I'd call that a success by any measure.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read that brings back many a memory, of course I was quite young, but the fear, anxiety was there. Matthew and his co-authors did a fantastic replay of the Space Age. Forward to the present day, one can only read back and still feel the defeat, trauma, that our nation suffered. The real pioneers were Korolov (USSR) and General Bruce Medaris (USA),- they were omitted in history books until Red Moon Rising. This work may anger certain establishments, i.e. the military, the political landscape of both the USSR and United States of America. What I was led to believe as a young lad simply was not necessarily the way it was. Sputnik definitely caused a change in life and war from the battlefield to the stars beyond. All in all it was a frustrating read, the lies, the unknown, the accusations, but one thing remained constant, IKE loved his golf.

[Bill Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody knows about the space race. Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Werhner von Braun publically lead us to the moon. Well, what did the Russians do? Their part of the story hasn’t been fully covered by popular media. Matthew Brzezinski did an excellent job of clearly explaining the politics, people and the science behind the astounding Russian efforts.
The complex Russian space effort involved many players that had paranoia, extreme scientific hurdles and intense personalities. All of their work had to be completed behind the iron curtain on a shoestring budget under immense pressure. At the same time, they were in a race with the Americans who were also under pressure to succeed. The early Russian efforts made spectacular achievements and their impressive story deserves to be understood. Matthew did a great job presenting this story and I learned a lot.

[Otso Rasimus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think Red Moon Rising was bad as such, but I think it was a little all over the place. I got the feeling that it's mainly trying to be about the beginnings of the Soviet space program, but then it has these flashbacky feeling sections about the US one.

And then it's about politics, when you initially get the idea it would be about space programs. Naturally these are related to each other, though it would've been enough to hear once that Ike was golfing whenever something important was happening, rather than it being repeated all the time.

So yeah... I'd liked it more if it had a more strict focus on one thing.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a space addict, this might be the best space book yet! Especially as it covers the relatively lesser known origins of the space race and provides exhaustive personal insights into the leading figures involved in the 1950's-60's. It truly reads like an action thriller and you feel as if you just started the book only to discover you finished it already. I needed at least another 300 pages of this wonderful read. That's the best compliment I can give for a book!