Space Race

The Battle to Rule the Heavens

The race: to be the first to master space and dominate the globe at the height of the Cold War. For America: Wernher von Braun, whose dreams of space flight to the moon had led him to collaborate with Nazis during the war, building rockets with slave labour. His past ‘whitewashed’, his face smiling from the cover of glossy magazines, this was the man who came to symbolise the scientific genius leading America’s space race.

Watching from the Soviet Union: the shadowy ‘Chief Designer’ Sergei Korolev. Trailed by his KGB ‘aide’, his fate controlled by Stalin, it was the brilliant Korolev who would seize the lead, inspiring sheer terror in the west with the world’s first satellite and then the first man in space. Such was the fear he would be murdered by Western intelligence, Korolev’s very identity was hidden from the public, but with unique access to the Russian archives, his extraordinary story can be told for the first time.

Space Race brings this multi-billion-dollar battle between superpowers to explosive life. Set against a backdrop of international espionage and risky – often fatal – experiments, it unearths the dramatic personal stories of those whose extraordinary passion drove them to sacrifice almost anything for victory.

Media

More information about Space Race here.

Reviews

‘Lucid, pacy and readable…’ Bryan Appleyard, New Statesman

‘A story of treason and backstabbing, international espionage, propaganda and often disaster. From the first small steps to the final giant dance, Cadbury provides a stellar read.’ Sunday Business Post

‘The Space Race is much sharper than the usual television tie in! This fascinating book illuminates the complex relations between Germany, America and Russia during the space race of the Cold War years… Heroes, villains, and victims populate this gripping story…’ Maggie Gee, Daily Telegraph

‘Cadbury has had the excellent idea of constructing a dual biography. Chapters alternate between Von Braun and Korolev, sketching in colourful detail and historical context in the manner of a thriller’ Guardian

‘Finely honed, consistently compelling… In the end, this is a cautionary tale, a story of what happens when the dreams of humankind are hijacked by the darker aspirations of politics’ Publishers Weekly

‘A swift, exciting history of the race to the moon, from Sputnik to ‘The Eagle has Landed’… Cadbury’s prose is heart-racing as she describes the individual missions, poignant as she acknowledges the loss of American and Soviet lives. First rate research and reporting’ Kirkus Reviews (starred)

‘This is an utterly engrossing book’  Foreign Affairs

‘This outstanding volume is likely to be one of the standards on its subject for years to come…’ Booklist

‘A fresh and revealing look at one of the most crucial battlefields of the Cold War’ Christian Science Monitor.