{"product_id":"2940169093537","title":"Chasing the Moon: The People, the Politics, and the Promise That Launched America into the Space Age","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJFK issued the historic moon landing challenge. These are the stories of the visionaries who helped America complete his vision with the first lunar landing 50 years ago.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Companion Audiobook to the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE® Film on PBS®\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGoing in depth to explore their stories beyond the PBS series, writer\/producer Robert Stone amp;mdash; called ¿one of our most important documentary filmmakers¿ by \u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e amp;mdash; brings these important figures to brilliant life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1961, President John F. Kennedy proposed the nation spend $20 billion to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Based on eyewitness accounts and newly discovered archival material, \u003ci\u003eChasing the Moon\u003c\/i\u003e reveals for the first time the unknown stories of the fascinating individuals whose imaginative work across several decades culminated in America¿s momentous achievement. More than a story of engineers and astronauts, the moon landing amp;mdash; now celebrating its 50th anniversary amp;mdash; grew out of the dreams of science fiction writers, filmmakers, military geniuses, and rule-breaking scientists. They include:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScience fiction author \u003cb\u003eArthur C. Clarke\u003c\/b\u003e, whose writing inspired some of the key players in the moon race. A scientific paper he wrote in his 20s led to the US beating Russia in one area of space: communications satellites.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWernher von Braun\u003c\/b\u003e, the former Nazi military genius who oversaw Hitler's rocket weapons program. After working on ballistic missiles for the US Army, he was recruited by NASA to manage the creation of the Saturn V moon rocket.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAstronaut \u003cb\u003eFrank Borman\u003c\/b\u003e, commander of the first mission to circumnavigate the moon, whose powerful testimony before Congress in 1967 decisively saved the US lunar program from being cancelled.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePoppy Northcutt\u003c\/b\u003e, a young mathematician who was the first woman to work in Mission Control. Her media exposure as a unique presence in this all-male world allowed her the freedom to stand up for equal rights for women and minorities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eEdward Dwight\u003c\/b\u003e, an African American astronaut candidate, recruited at the urging of the Kennedy White House to further the administration¿s civil rights agenda amp;mdash; but not everyone welcomed his inclusion.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eSetting these key players in the political, social, and cultural climate of the time, \u003ci\u003eChasing the Moon\u003c\/i\u003e focuses on the science and the history but, most important, the extraordinary individuals behind what was undoubtedly the greatest human achievement of the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47161184714992,"sku":"2940169093537","price":22.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940169093537_p0.jpg?v=1763760719","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940169093537","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}