Epic Rivalry: Inside the Soviet and American Space Race

By Von Hardesty and Gene Eisman

When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969, they personified an almost unimaginable featthe 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. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of Sputnik, National Geographic recaptures this gripping moment in the human experience with a lively and compelling new account. 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 Scores of rare, unpublished, and powerful photographs recall the urgency and technical creativity of both nations' efforts.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 beforeand captures the interest of casual browsers and science, space, and history enthusiasts alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 18, 2007
• ISBN: 9781426202094

Von Hardesty

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.

Reviews for Epic Rivalry

[dalematt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

To me non-ficition books come in three types: hard core (after reading I could hold my own with a professor), soft core (a well read middle schooler could fend me off with ease) and middle core. "Epic Rivalry" treads the middle ground between great depth and no depth at all, aiming, perhaps for the lighter side but with sufficient take away information to make it worth the effort.The book covers the period ending in 1969 during which the US and USSR were engaged in a real competition to get into and exploit space. Taking a running start from the creation of the Nazi V2 rockets, most of the book focuses on the lead up to the first satellites (Sputnik, Explorer). Without getting into too much detail, the authors ably discuss how science and politics intersected in both countries to create the first decade and change of unmanned and manned space flight. The book put a few details behind what I watched in awe as a child, and even-handedly discussed the real advances made by the USSR which were not known to the average American of the time.Epic Rivalry ends rather abruptly with the first lunar landing by Apollo 11 and offers a quick summary of the almost four decades since. A little more time on some of the follow on information, such as the little-known Soviet space shuttle, Buran, would have been welcome.One nice feature of the book is the more or less technical end note following each chapter. The science never strays beyond the 30,000 foot overview, but the authors don't dumb down the material, either.In sum, a good read for the history buff seeking to fill a gap in their understanding of the cold war era and for those who were fascinated by the space age as it unfolded in the 60's.

[gwenh_13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although there is no shortage of books on man's expansion into space, "Epic Rivalry: The Inside Story of the Soviet and American Space Race" by Von Hardesty and Gene Eisman deliver their own unique perspective. The book could be used as an overview, but where "Epic Rivalry" shines is in vividly capturing moments in time where the paths of the two sides in the space race intersected.The book begins with a forward by Dr. Sergi Khrushchev, Nikita Khruschev's son, whose Russian perspective offers up insights and a hint of what is to come. In the introduction that follows, the authors state "This book examines the historic role of the key political leaders who shaped the course of space exploration." It does this and more, by bringing to life key events and people, beginning with the post-war scramble of both the Soviets and Americans for V-2 rockets in Germany.The book has plenty of descriptions of the hardware and the problems designing it, without getting mired in technical discussions that only an engineer or physicist could appreciate. More than straight technical timeline, the hardware descriptions are used to expose how the technical vulnerabilities and achievements of one side, real or feared, propelled the other side to action.As with most any National Geographic book, the numerous photographs are worth looking, and relooking, at. They include iconic images (e.g. rockets blasting off) as well as some surpises (e.g. V-2 rocket production). The photos have been arranged with care, juxtaposing images in intriguing ways. You will see many remarkably similar Russian and American photos from the comradery of the early astronauts and cosmonauts who had been in space, to the public cheering successes and mourning losses. The are well chosen to augment the text.Definitely worth a read.edited - updated to add last paragraph on photos, 5/17/2007.

[surly_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While 'Epic Rivalry' is an enjoyable read, it does not provide any new insights or information not already available.

[ricksbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Epic Rivalry" covers the space race in a unique fashion, focusing not so much on the various achievements of the Soviet and American programs, but rather on the ways in which they were each impacted by the other. This interweaving perspective provides far greater context than a work that solely recounted each program separately. It may sound odd (and isn't meant to detract from the overall work), but the Foreward (by Sergei Khrushchev) was one of the highlights of the book. In a few powerful pages, he helps set the tone for the book by describing in personal terms some of the key dynamics in the Soviet program. It's a tightly written snapshot of the power and intensity of the Cold War rivalry between the two nations. (After finishing, I re-read it and enjoyed it even more.)Additional strengths:- Detailed descriptions of the Soviet achievements- Insight into the dynamics of inter-service rivalries in the pre-NASA era of the American program- Focus on the launch facilities of both programs

[tomveal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Epic Rivalry follows the Great Space Race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. from its roots in the German V-2 rocket project through the landing of Apollo 11 on the Moon. The lead author, Von Hardesty, has written extensively about the Soviet Air Force, a background that informs the book's view of the Soviets' strengths and weaknesses. A top-down system mired in secrecy and intrigue depends, ironically, on individual brilliance. When brilliance failed, after the premature death of Chief Designer Sergei Korolov, Soviet space superiority vanished within a couple of years. Meanwhile, the slow-starting, but open and cross-fertilizing, American program caught up and surged ahead. This book offers no radically revisionist interpretations or startling revelations, but it skillfully recounts the story of perhaps the most important non-military international competition of all time.

[worcester_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In "Epic Rivalry" Von Hardesty and Gene Eisman have crafted a good general survey of the Soviet and U.S. space programs, (with a small dose of the German V-2 program, as well) from the end of the Second World War to the Apollo XI moon landing. This is a good book for those looking for their first general history of the pioneering days of the era of human space flight or those looking to "fill in" gaps in knowledge of the topic. For those already familiar with NASA's efforts in the 1960s, the portions of the book dealing with the Soviet Program will be particularly illuminating. My only complaint is that I was left wanting more. In particular, the history of the Apollo Program felt rushed. I would certainly enjoy seeing these authors make an attempt at a more detailed survey of either of the competing programs.

[abvr_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Conceptually, this book goes where dozens of earlier books have gone before; Over the familiar ground from the German V-2 program of WWII to the triumphant landing of Apollo 11 on the moon in 1969, Adding yet *another* book on the Space Race to the already towering pile demands a fresh, new approach that Hardesty and Eisman ultimately fail to deliver. The stories they tell are familiar, the narrative choices uninspired, and the side-by-side comparison of the US and Soviet programs underdeveloped. Tom Crouch did a better introductory survey of the subject in "Aiming for the Stars," and David Scott and Alexei Leonov did the parallel-stories structure better in "Two Sides of the Moon.""Epic Rivalry" has its moments (some unfamiliar photographs, and well-handled histories of Cape Canaveral and Baikonour Cosmodrome) but these are overwhelmed by the essential dullness of the enterprise. Hardesty and Eisman have exciting material to work with, but they tell it in the most perfunctory of ways, as if all the vivid characters and high tension had been leached out. This is an adequate introductory survey, but no more than that. Anyone truly interested in the subject would be better served by other books.

[gordon361 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Epic Rivalry was released in October of 2007 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth.As the the title suggests, the story takes us inside the competition between the the U.S. and U.S.S.R to conquer space and eventually land a man on the moon. We are shown the differences in motivation between the national leaders and prominent sceintists on both sides of the race. It also demonsrates how two radically different political systems reached to attain a national goal.There are no startling new facts here, though casual readers may find fresh ideas and insights they may not have been exposed to previously.All in all, Epic Rivalry is a well laid out and engaging side by side account of one of the grandest scientific endeavors in human history. The forward by Sergei Khrushchev gives a fresh insiders account from both the political and scientific angles on the Soviet side.Epic Rivalry is good basic reading for any fan of science, space or the cold war.

[cutiger80 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Overall I felt that the book, “The Epic Rivalry”, was a decent exposition of the events of the Space Race. However, I do have some reservations about the book. First, the introduction to the book seems to serve to not only introduce the book but explain why it is the way it is. The book should explain that throughout its pages it should not have to be given an excuse by the authors. Second, the book in the form at which I encountered it suffers at the outset from some choppy prose, which makes it hard to get started on what turns out to be an informative and interesting discussion of the Space Race. Another problem with the first portion of the book is how long it takes to simply arrive at the first chapter; in a 280 page book the first 30 should not be introduction, foreword and prologue. Again it feels like the authors are providing too much setup when the books first chapter should serve as such.Third, is the tedious juxtaposition of the USSR vs US in the Space Race. I would have found it more palatable had the US been presented then the USSR presented with a few chapters in conclusion to compare the two. Though the book adequately covers the history of the Space Race it is a bit awkward in its presentation. Readers are forced to search for photos relevant to the chapters they are reading, the photos should be more carefully integrated into the chapters in which they are relevant since the visuals trying to be evoked by the authors would often be improved with the addition of an actual picture. Finally, I found the overall flow of this book was severely hampered by the features between the chapters, while informative and interesting they often move the reader off the progression of the books story rather then give them additional information, they may be better suited for being shortened and placed within the chapters themselves.As I said I did enjoy the book overall but it is far from the best book I have encountered in my desire to learn more about the Space Race. Frankly I have had dry and technical textbooks that grabbed my attention more then this book. If you are looking for a quick and easy read to learn about the Space Race I would not be able to recommend this book, unless all you care about is the comparison between the two programs with none of the background for the reasoning and origin of either paths of the programs.

[grabbingsand · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've made a point of keeping this one within arm's reach. If I'm making pancakes on a weekend morning, why not learn a bit about America's pre-NASA space program at the same time? If I'm grilling a rack of turkey burgers, perhaps the blue flames will put me in the perfect mood to read all about Dr. Von Braun and his rocketing aspirations? After all, this is a National Geographic book. I had a subscription to National Geographic World for most of my pre-teen and teen years. And my parents would buy me these bi-monthly hardback books, large and in-color and full of information about inventions or nature or computers or robots. Most of my nascent trivia knowledge can be traced most likely back to one of those National Geographic volumes. However, I think I'm ready to call it a day on Epic Rivalry. The writing is well-meaning, but cloudy. The American side of the race is treated cursorily and off-handedly, as if the reader is supposed to have already heard most of the stories previously. For those rare times when an event is really something spectacular, the authors quote from Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff instead of attempting their own narrative. The Soviet side of the race is presented as some Great Journey of Mystery. All of the Soviet scientists might as well be presented with wizard hats and magic wands. (Okay, that was hyperbole ...) All in all, Epic Rivalry is a decent book, but it deserved to be an even better one.

[mjsmoose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Epic Rivalry was a most enjoyable read for someone who has not read much about space travel since middle school. A lot of the information that was something I had an idea of, but this really fleshed things out. The background information about the German engineers being utilized by the surviving powers was particularly interesting.