Red Moon Rising

Sputnik and the Hidden Rivals That Ignited the Space Age

By: Matthew Brzezinski

Narrated by: Charles Stransky

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

On October 4, 1957, a time of Cold War paranoia, the Soviet Union secretly launched the Earth's first artificial moon. No bigger than a basketball, the tiny satellite was powered by a car battery. Yet, for all its simplicity, Sputnik stunned the world.

Based on extensive research in the US and newly opened archives in the former USSR, Red Moon Rising tells the story of five extraordinary months in the history of technology and the rivalry between two superpowers. It takes us inside the Kremlin and introduces the Soviet engineer Korolev, the charismatic, politically-minded visionary who motivated Khruschev to support what others dismissed as a ridiculous program. Korolev is virtually unknown to most Americans, yet it is because of him that NASA exists, that college loan programs were started in the U.S., and that Kennedy and Johnson became presidents.

Character driven, suspenseful, and dramatic, Red Moon Rising unveils the politics, people, science, and mindset behind a critical and transformative world event.

©2007 Matthew Brzezinski (P)2007 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"The writing is fast-paced and crisp...Yet even more than his absorbing narrative, Brzezinski's final analysis has staying power." ( Publishers Weekly)

Combines BOTH sides

Brzezinski tells the story from both sides with enough political and technical details to interest almost anyone. He also benefits from the hindsight and declassification of previous secrets to produce a complete picture.

GREAT BOOK on the Rocket Race

This audio book kept me listening to the end, never a dull moment!!!! I wish all historical audio books were as interesting as this one.

Incredible story in exciting detail

Would you listen to Red Moon Rising again? Why?

Yes - learned so much, need to go back and pick up the details

What did you like best about this story?

The description of the rockets, interludes to world affairs, character profiles

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Waiting for the signal from Sputnik!

Well worth a read

A very interesting story which tells the full story of the complete space race.

Truly an amazing piece of history. A must read!

What made the experience of listening to Red Moon Rising the most enjoyable?

I inside look at the space race and the cold war politics that drove it. I learned so much from this book. Truely an incredible story of science fact!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Moon Rising?

The fact that our own government kept us from launching the first satellite before the USSR. Our own government forced Von Braun's Jupiter C rocket to fly 1,300 lbs. of sand as a second stage to keep his rocket from going into orbit. All because the elected officials wanted there pet Navy Vanguard program to be the first to orbit.

A History Lesson

An interesting story of the "space race," or perhaps more appropriately, the "weapons race" between the Soviet Union and the US following WWII. Dispels some of the myths/fears I grew up with. How many people know that Nikita Khruschev's "We will bury you!" refers, not to military might and ultimate dominance over the US, but to a boast that the USSR would outpace the US in agriculture/dairy production?

There are lessons to be learned from 20/20 hindsight! Maybe the world would be better off if we understood how much we are all alike, rather than fearing and/or exploiting those ways in which we are different. Though this was not a principle subplot, it certainly stood out to me as I completed the book. (less)

such an amazing tell!

this book is amazing listen/read. it gives a nice balance of USSR and American recount of the start of the space race and a good gateway into learning about the cold war

The Missile Race That Determined the "Space Race"

If you could sum up Red Moon Rising in three words, what would they be?

I can't tell you how utterly entertaining Brzezinski's account of the missile race between the Soviet Union and the United States was. The so-called "Space Race" of the 60's didn't hold a candle to the Missile Race of the 40's & 50's.

By the time the "Space Race" was in full swing the US had unknowingly pulled far ahead and the Soviet Union was quietly sputtering technologically as funding for rockets and space research was drying up as the population starved in the 1960's. While the Soviets won the satellite race in 1957, and the manned orbital race in 1961, they were doing it by the skin of their teeth. Their success ultimately harmed them in the end since the US was all the more motivated to close the perceived "missile gap" that never actually existed.

The real competition between the post WWII powers was the race to capture German Scientists and hardware. And each power faced challenges in convincing their respective leaders of the value of the technology they had either obtained as spoils of war or quietly discovered on their own.

Of particular interest was the inter-service rivalry between the various branches of the US military with each attempting to develop and launch test vehicles that would become the seeds of future nuclear arsenals and manned launch vehicles. It is fascinating to realize that both powers initially had no real interest in space flight or research. It was suborbital weaponry that was foremost on their minds. Space flight and satellite launching was just an afterthought. It was only the passionate endurance, and in some instances deception, of a handful of rocket scientists on both sides of the "iron curtain" that ultimately got hardware and men into space and beyond.

Ultimately, the "Space Race" was an unintended consequence of the militarily driven missile race that preceded it. And Brzezinski's story captures the wonder and intrigue of it all.

I will definitely be returning to listen to this book again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Moon Rising?

See above.

What about Charles Stransky’s performance did you like?

Alive and earnest.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I had had the time, yes.

Well-researched & well-written! Great book!

Any additional comments?

This is a great title for space buffs (like me), for Cold war history buffs (like me, though I am a history professor so I guess I am more than a "buff") and even for World War II fans, as this story picks up at the close of that awful conflict. The writing is great-the opening scene, where the author slightly anthropomorphizes a V-2 rocket, is riveting! As a specialist in modern technological history, I have no major problems with the scholarship-but read this book because it's fun, and just learn stuff along the way! Highly recommended!

Unsung heroes of space race

What did you love best about Red Moon Rising?

It was revelation to learn how space age only come to be as collateral of nuclear proliferation and that (on USSR side at least) people most deserving were doomed to live in absolute anonymity.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Moon Rising?

Listening to recreation of moments when first satellite was launched, even with having hindsight of how it went (spoiler alert - it was success :) I was still experiencing uncertainty.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely, since starting it I used every moment I could spare from work to listen.

Any additional comments?

It got me hooked on exploring more books on space race