John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon

On May 25, 1961, President John Kennedy declared: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." Over his remaining time in the White House, JFK actively involved himself in space decisions and several times reviewed his decision to go to the Moon, each time concluding that the benefits of being the leader in space outweighed the massive costs of the lunar landing enterprise. Logsdon traces the evolution of JFK's thinking and policy up until his assassination, which brought to an end his reexamination of the program's goal and schedule and his hope to collaborate, rather than compete, with the Soviet Union in going to the Moon. This study, based on extensive research in primary documents and archival interviews with key members of the Kennedy administration, is the definitive examination of John Kennedy's role in sending Americans to the Moon.

Author: J. Logsdon
Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
Published: 02/10/2011
Pages: 308
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.24lbs
Size: 9.49h x 6.36w x 0.82d
ISBN: 9780230110106

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 11/01/2010
Booklist 12/01/2010 pg. 20
Choice 09/01/2011

About the Author
John M. Logsdon is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Affairs at The Space Policy Institute, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, USA. The author of The Decision to Go to the Moon: Project Apollo and the National Interest, he appears frequently in major print and broadcast media as a commentator on American space policy.