{"product_id":"the-sputnik-challenge","title":"The Sputnik Challenge","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn October 4  1957  the Soviet Union launched a 184-pound metal ball called Sputnik into orbit around the Earth  and America plummeted into a panic. Nuclear weapon designer Edward Teller claimed that the United States had lost \"a battle more important and greater than Pearl Harbor \" and magazine articles appeared with such headlines as \"Are We Americans Going Soft?\" In the White House  President Eisenhower seemed to do nothing  leading Kennedy in 1960 to proclaim a \"missile gap\" in the Soviets favor. Rarely has public perception been so dramatically at odds with reality. In The Sputnik Challenge  Robert Divine provides a fascinating look at Eisenhowers handling of the early space race--a story of public uproar  secret U-2 flights  bungled missile tests  the first spy satellite  political maneuvering  and scientific triumph. He recreates the national hysteria over the first two Sputnik launches  illustrating the anxious handwringing that the Democrats (led by Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson) aggressively played for political gain. Divine takes us to private White House meetings  showing how Eisenhower worked closely with science adviser James Killian  allowing him to take the lead in creating a civilian agency--NASA--which provided intelligent and forceful leadership for American space programs. But the President also knew from priceless intelligence from U-2 flights over the U.S.S.R. that he had little to fear from the touted missile gap  and he fought to limit the growth and multiplication of military missile programs. Eisenhowers assurance  however  rested on classified information  and he did little to instill his confidence in the public. Nor could he boast of his early support for the secret spy satellite program (which quickly replaced the U-2 plane after Gary Powers was shot down in 1960). So the public continued to worry  feeding the national movement for educational reform as well as congressional maneuvering over funding for numerous strategic projects. Eisenhower  Divine writes  possessed keen strategic vision and a sure sense of budgetary priorities  but ultimately he flunked a crucial test of leadership when he failed to reassure the frightened public that their fears were groundless. As a result  he ultimately failed in his goal to limit military spending as well--which led to a real missile gap in reverse. Incisively written and deeply researched  The Sputnik Challenge provides a briskly-paced history of the origins of NASA  the space race  and the age of the ICBM.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44986239320117,"sku":"ByrdShop_0195050088","price":47.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780195050080.jpg?v=1770893843","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-sputnik-challenge","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}