The Man Who Ran the Moon: James E. Webb, NASA, and the Secret History of Project Apollo

Book Description

One man, more than any other, created the giant space agency we know today as NASA: James E. Webb. The Man Who Ran the Moon explores a time when Webb and an elite group of charismatic business associates took control of America’s Apollo moon project, sometimes with disturbing results.

In 1967, NASA was rocked by disaster and Apollo was grounded. Webb was savaged in a Congressional investigation. Not just a matter of broken hardware, there were accusations of corruption at the heart of America's space effort. Some of Webb's political allies had been caught up in the biggest scandal ever to hit Washington prior to Watergate. The backwash unfairly tainted NASA's chief.

By the time of the first triumphant lunar landing, Webb had resigned and his name had all but been forgotten. But he’s the man who got us to the moon, and the power base he forged in the 1960s has kept NASA on a solid footing to this day. Washington insiders now acknowledge Webb as one of the greatest leaders in modern American history. No space boss since his time has wielded so much power and such a powerful story.

Customer Reviews:

Behind The Gloss.......2007-03-11

At last its good to find a book which covers the politics behind any large government organisation, and especially one as large as NASA. This book complements the huge number of technology offerings on the early days of spaceflight, and then to the moon. It was interesting to see how NASA went through the various phases of an entrepreneurial company, and almost distructing, before re-inventing itself several times over.
Mr Bizony has made a good effort in trying to distill a large period of time and a number of memorable events into a readable volume without getting too sidetracked in the huge undetaking of man going to the moon.
I have found this a good contrast to the Robert Godwin Apollo Mission Reports.

a black box opened - faszinating insights into the administration of the race to the moon.......2007-01-09

When you hear of the manned space programme or the first lunar landing of Apollo 11 you think of the astronauts who went there and the engineers who built the vehicles in which they went. But even as a space enthusiast I rarely spend a thought about the people in the background who administered the biggest engineering programme ever. Yet as the book reveals there was a lot of important work to do behind the scenes. Fascinating insights into the world of high profile public administration are given in the book that stand up to the excitement of space walks and lunar landings. The book is also excellent in unravelling the complexity of running NASA and the deeper insights into the Apollo fire. All in all a brillant and - surprisingly - entertaining book, not just for the space freak.

"Space Age Management".......2006-11-13

This long overdue biography of Jim Webb fills a needed void in the literature of the Apollo program. Webb, a disarming but astute partisan Democrat from North Carolina ran NASA during the crucial years leading up to the Apollo program. This book not only details his personal life, but the wheeling and dealing that went on behind the scenes in Washington to get to the moon.

Nobody doubts that Webb was brilliant, but Webb was not without flaws. He was totally infatuated with Roosevelt-era New Deal big government, and ran NASA accordingly, sometimes to the detriment of the program. He adopted the mantra of "Space Age Management" and took it to mean a giant, monolithic government run program straight from FDR's playbook. I think the book does a great job explaining Webb's less than savory relationships to politicians and others of questionable ethics in both the Kennedy and (especially) Johnson administrations such as Bobby Baker. It also recalls a less than savory battle with fellow Democrat and political climber, Walter Mondale, that exposes Washington political opportunism at its worst. I rate the book four stars as the book tends to downplay the significance of ethically borderline issues that occurred in Webb's tenure. To the credit of the book, Bizony does correctly point out that Kennedy was not the true champion of space he is revered to be today, but saw space exploration as a politically expedient course to follow, as did Johnson.

On the plus side, the author absolutely nails the deplorable history of NASA since Apollo and presents an accurate and devastating portrait of the Shuttle and International Space Station programs. Mr. Bizony correctly identifies the root cause of the problems in both programs as an unholy alliance of political objectives and unfocused technology. Webb's stature rose significantly in my eyes when I read Bizony's account of the hostility Webb had for Robert McNamara, another big government technocrat, but one without the vision of either Kennedy or Webb. NASA veteran Bob Seamans comes off as a much needed moderating force within the administration, and this book also details the fascinating relationship between Seamans and Webb.

Overall this is a noteworthy book. While it occasionally seems to come off the rails and get sidetracked, Piers Bizony always manages to tie up loose ends, resulting in a detailed and historically important book. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the space program, and further to students of management to learn not only the successes, but failures of the biggest single peacetime logistical puzzle in history.

July 2006 [...] book selection.......2006-07-28

I have decided to stop including subtitles to books, as too many books nowadays seem to include overly long subtitles like this one, "James E. Webb, NASA, and the Secret History of Project Apollo." For goodness sake, folks: read the book, as it chronicles how James Webb ran NASA in the 1960s, for better or worse, by brokering all sorts of backroom, good ole boy deals. Bizony's book is fascinating, as it reveals the realistic side of inspirational programs like our country's space program. I loved the book and commend the author for presenting the facts without shattering the dream. If you have not guessed, I am a space nut who admires the one program that seems to rally the world around America (in a positive way, that is): NASA. To view this and other cool short book recommendations, [...].

The Business and Political Side of Getting Man on the Moon.......2006-07-12

With "The Man Who Ran the Moon: James E. Webb, NASA, and the Secret History of Project Apollo" Piers Bizony has written a wide ranging history about the business side of getting man on the moon. While many books focus on the astronauts and some focus on engineering, this book covers the political side of space flight. There are times when the author sounds as though he is losing his perspective as a historian/biographer and begins to expound on the virtues of the democratic party (Jim Webb was a lifelong Democrat) but after a few quick barbs about how things could be better today if we only learned from our past he rapidly gets back to the subject at hand.

The book does an excellent job of explaining John F. Kennedy and how he got behind the space program. The reader will see how without the soviets the American leadership would have never made space a priority. The "race" with the Russians has been well documented but this book goes deep into the American political system and how our government reacted to the race. The reader will see the give and take in Washington and how Webb spread the money around the country both in ways to gain political favor for the space program and in ways that made the most sense from a management position. Also covered is a fascinating meeting at the White House where Webb and JFK get into an argument over what the main goal of NASA should be and we see Webb not back down to the President of the United States.

The author goes to great lengths to explain the fall of Jim Webb and many pages are devoted to explaining the big political picture of lobbyist Fred B. Black, Jr. and LBJ protégé Robert "Bobby" Baker. While at times the reader may find themselves wondering what any of this has to do with Webb and NASA, all becomes clear in the end and the reader is rewarded with the knowledge and understanding of how something as simple as vending machines can start a series of events that will lead to the fall of a powerful man.

The selection of North American Aviation for construction of many parts of the rocket and capsule are covered as well as the fallout from the Apollo 1 fire. The Walter "Fritz" Mondale vs. Webb fight in the congressional investigations into the Apollo 1 fire are also well covered.

Overall this is an excellent book and is one that all space flight enthusiasts will want to add to their collection. I highly recommend it.

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Newest Resource for Space Autograph Collectors
The Facts are Accurate
Most of this information is available for free elsewhere
A Fine Reference Work
Informative Book!

Who's Who of NASA Astronauts
Lee A. Ellis
Manufacturer: Americana Group Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0966796144

Book Description

Who's Who of NASA Astronauts presents the biographical information of all 367 NASA astronauts along with their mission facts. From the original Mercury 7 selected in 1959 to the present day Space Shuttle astronauts working on the International Space Station, this book contains the personal history, education, honors received, affiliated organizations and the NASA experience of each astronaut.

Customer Reviews:

Newest Resource for Space Autograph Collectors.......2002-05-27

FROM: Autograph Collector Magazine-June 2002 edition
Collectors of space autographs looking for complete information on NASA astronauts and how to contact them will find Lee Ellis' new book "Who's Who of NASA Astronauts" an excellent resource. The book contains extensive biographies, space flight data and other facts for all 367 NASA astronauts from the first manned space flight of Alan Shepard to current NASA candidates. Of particular interest to collectors is a complete section of astronaut addresses. Arranged for easy reference, each biography covers personal data, education, organizations, special honors and full NASA experience.

The Facts are Accurate.......2002-01-23

I'm the coach for a local high school science bowl team. We have used the book, "Who's Who of NASA Astronauts" as the authority on
all of our questions about NASA astronauts. We use this book to create questions for the students and use this book to officiate
any dispute on a question about NASA astronauts. "Who's Who of NASA Astronauts" is a valuable resource for anyone wanting
accurate information on NASA astronauts. Also, I have used other
books about NASA astronauts and "Who's Who of NASA Astronauts"
is the least expensive.

Most of this information is available for free elsewhere.......2001-12-12

For me, this is a difficult book to review, because as one reviewer has already pointed out, most of the information presented in this book is available at several NASA websites for free. The NASA sites also include nice photographs, links to other NASA information and are continuously updated. In some cases, the information presented in the book is taken word for word from the NASA sites.

On the flip side of things, a book like this is readily available, portable and good for those you do not have computer access. Futhermore, the information presented on the former astronauts, especially those from the Apollo era, is not always available at the NASA sites.

In general, I'd say that if you are interested in owning and reading a book that contains good biographical summaries on all the NASA astronauts, this book is for you. If you just want a book for a quick reference now and then go to the NASA sites.

A Fine Reference Work.......2001-11-18

Who's Who of NASA Astronauts is a valuable resource for anyone wanting concise and comprehensive information on the biographies of the NASA Astronauts. This book give personal data, outlines the events surrounding the NASA astronauts and gives the accounts of their space flights. People who would enjoy this book are space flight enthusiasts, students wanting background information on the qualifications, selection and application process to become an astronaut, reference librarians for their general reference section, speaker bureaus, autograph collectors who want to write to astronauts, schools and alumni of astronauts and business associates of astronauts. I have known Lee Ellis, the author of "Who's Who of NASA Astronauts" for many years. Over that time, he has demonstrated high ethical standards. The sources Mr. Ellis used in the publication of his book include personal interviews with NASA astronauts, information from the NASA history center in Washington, DC, the NASA website and various other news reporting agencies. I would like to reply to a comment given by a previous review and say that not all reviewers are aware of the principles and guidelines that must be followed in the publication of a book. I want to assure everyone that Mr. Ellis has complied with all the NASA requirements and conditions in the preparation of his book. I have talked to people of all walks of life who have read "Who's Who of NASA Astronauts." All of them have mentioned how much they have enjoyed the book and are looking forward to Mr. Ellis' next publication.

Informative Book!.......2001-11-15

I've enjoyed reading about astronauts and their explorations over the years. I'm especially interested in the moon-walkers and this book does a fine job of detailing the astronauts lives and their NASA experiences. The author has done a good job of organizing the astronaut biographies which makes finding information much easier.

Book Description

In Running to Paradise, M.L. Rosenthal, hailed by the Times Literary Supplement as "one of the most important critics of twentieth-century poetry," leads us through the lyric poetry and poetic drama of our century's greatest poet in English. His readings shed new, vivid light on Yeats's
daring uses of tradition, his love poetry, and the way he faced the often tragic realities of revolution and civil war. Running to Paradise describes Yeat's whole effort--sometimes leavened by wild humor--to convey, with high poetic integrity, his passionate sense of his own life and of his chaotic
era.
Himself a noted poet, Rosenthal stresses Yeats's artistry and psychological candor. The book ranges from his early exquisite lyrical poems and folklore-rooted plays, through the tougher-minded, more confessional mature work (including the sublime achievement of The Tower), and then to the sometimes
"mad" yet often brilliant tragic or comic writing of his last years. Quoting extensively from Yeats, Rosenthal charts the gathering force with which the poet confronted his major life-issues: his art's demands, his persistent but hopeless love for one woman, the complexities of marriage to another
woman at age 52, and his distress during Ireland's "Troubles." Yeats's deep absorption in female sensibility, in the cycles of history and human thought, and in supernaturalism and "the dead" comes strongly into play as well.

Customer Reviews:

An indispensable guide and companion on the journey ...........2005-03-21

I am new to Yeats's poetry and have been searching for a guide to help me on the journey. I bought Rosenthal's book because the review by Library Journal (cited on Amazon's website) said it is "especially valuable for those less familiar with the poet."

Rosenthal's book gives a close reading of Yeats's poems and plays, illuminating individual poems, revealing the connective tissue between poems, and the ways Yeats's poems and plays enrich each other.

This book is exciting and accessible. Yeats's humanity shines through and makes me feel his words illuminate things about the world and my place in it.

Running to Paradise has won accolades from many sources, including an award from the Yeats Society. On the back cover are these reviews:

From the Boston Globe: "M.L. Rosenthal's deeply rewarding consideration of Yeats's lyric poetry and poetic drama emphasizes the interdependence of his artistic and intellectual growth....Rosenthal's stress on group linkages and sequences [allows] the reader to experience the poetry in terms of a total organic design....[Yeats's] soaring achievement has been rendered here in prose that is clear, eloquent, and accessible."

From Louis Simpson (Pulitzer prize-winning poet): "[Rosenthal] shows how the poet's ideas are developed from one stage to another, and that over Yeats's lifetime his poems and plays form a coherent and massive whole -- a twentieth-century Divine Comedy....An indispensable study of a great poet."

From Joel Conarroe (author of Six American Poets): "This brilliant study of a towering figure could only have been written by a passionate reader who is himself a gifted poet."

From Richard J. Finneran (Editor, The Collected Works of W. B. Yeats, Vol. 1: The Poems): "Running to Paradise, the fruit of a lifetime studying and teaching Yeats...is an essential companion to Yeats's poems and plays."

Thank you Dr. Rosenthal. I am grateful for your guidance and companionship on my journey.

Average customer rating:

RUNNING TO PARADISE
R. Maurice Boyd
Manufacturer: Welch Publishing Company, In
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1550111531

Product Description

The third collection of sermons by Dr. R. Maurice Boyd, Minister of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York.

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Running To Paradise

Manufacturer: Macmillan Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Selection that shows the many moods of this Nobel Prize winning poet selected by Carnegie Medalist.

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Running To Paradise
W.B. Yeats
Manufacturer: MacMillan Pub. 1967 NEW YORK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Running to Paradise
Virginia Budd
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0340424982

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Running to Paradise
Kildare Dobbs
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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No Place for Cynicism
Run and buy this book
What a treat!
What a treat!
More than a metaphor

Running to Paradise
Frances Winfield Bremer
Manufacturer: Prospect Press (WV)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1892668246

Book Description

Did you ever wonder why, in this day and age, attractive young men who seem to have everything going for them drop it all and become Catholic priests? Prospect Press has just published a book which will let you in on the secret.

RUNNING TO PARADISE is the true story of a young Catholic priest who is also an avid runner. Using a priest's actual words, thoughts and experiences (but protecting his identity), author Frances Winfield Bremer uses Father "Frank's" marathon training as a metaphor for his priesthood. She takes the reader behind the veil into a special world of commitment, self-sacrifice, and joy.

Father Frank's story will move anyone whose strength and faith have been tested by everyday life, and fascinate Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Scheduled for publication on November 5, 2000, the day of the New York City Marathon, free promotional copies of RUNNING TO PARADISE will be passed out to runners after the finish.

One-half the proceeds from the sale of Running to Paradise will go to the Catholic Relief Services for their work with the poor and displaced of the world.

Customer Reviews:

No Place for Cynicism.......2001-01-26

This is not a book for cynics - or maybe it is. A sweet and simple story about ordinary people, it runs a bridge over the chasm between rationality, our need for hard proof, and the consoling power of prayer and simple faith. Those of us needing something more than the materiality of modern life may find comfort here. Others, too smart and too busy for religion in their lives, will not bother. They should.

Run and buy this book.......2000-12-29

This book is a fascinating story within a story. Frank, a runner in his 30s, is training for the New York Marathon.

Frank comes across as very human; he could be the boy-next-door with his interest in playing poker, football, drinking beer and hanging out with his friends. But what makes him interesting and complex and gives the story its resonance and depth, is that he is a Catholic Priest.

A very thought provoking book.

What a treat!.......2000-12-16

What a treat to find an interesting well written book that helps explain the Catholic outlook and its rituals to mistified Protestants. Father Frank is a very appealing young priest with his all too human failings, goals and yearnings. We see his family, parish and view of life through his eyes as he goes through a year in the church calendar in training for the NYC marathon. Along the way, we see his growth and that of his church, and we grow in our knowledge of the different celebrations of the church year and their meaning. Frances Bremer has given us a city Catholic priest, reminescent of the Episcopal Father Tim in Jan Karon's Mitford series. She leaves us wanting more.

What a treat!.......2000-12-16

More than a metaphor.......2000-12-04

God isn't finished with Frank yet and He uses the New York City Marathon to teach him a thing or two. This true story chronicles a year in the life of a young priest in Boston as he struggles to answer Christ's call to follow Him as he attends to his parish and trains for the marathon. As a priest, following Christ means bringing the people of the parish along to learn the love of God for them and the demands of a loving response. And some people, vividly portrayed, don't make it easy.

The analogy of life as a race is at least as old as the Greeks. St. Paul used it to describe his life: I have run the race, I have kept the faith. The race demands training, self-discipline, suffering, and an iron determination to finish. It never goes according to plan and the reward at the finish might not be what was expected.

_Running for Paradise_ is an affecting account that recognizes the rituals and devotions of Catholicism as doors for the human heart to enter the Heart of Christ. Fr. Frank and his flock, in the sometimes gritty circumstances of life, are faced with the reality of the hardness and selfishness of their hearts and invited to open themselves to the life of God's Heart. It is a modern tale of the timeless truths.

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Running to paradise
Bruce Arnold
Manufacturer: H. Hamilton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Contemporary | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
ASIN: 0241109981

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Running To Paradise. Yeat's Poetic Art
M.L. Rosenthal
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUGLTQ

Amazon.com

Want to run faster, jump higher, play better? For years we've been told that we can achieve these grandiose goals with the help of high-performance athletic footwear. What used to be the lowly gym shoe has risen to a revered wardrobe staple. The Sneaker Book: An Anatomy of the Industry and an Icon, by journalist Tom Vanderbilt, relates the story of the sneaker in a breezy and fact-filled manner that perfectly captures the heart of the subject. Starting with a brief history of both the footwear and the $11 billion industry that now feeds off of it, Vanderbilt looks at the design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and advertising that have taken the sneaker business to astronomical heights. His evaluation is augmented with a variety of charts, corporate profiles, previously published articles, and even cartoons that lend depth and shading to the topic. This informative and compact book reads like a special magazine issue devoted to a single subject, and it is indeed the first in a new series of similar books that will each focus on a popular consumer product. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

The first cultural history of America's most popular footwear, and an eye-opening look at an $11-billion-a-year industry, The Sneaker Book is an entertaining, informative look at the economic and pop cultural factors surrounding these globally produced All-American icons. Supplemented by charts, statistics, and graphics, The Sneaker Book documents the costs and profits of the $11-billion-a-year sneaker business on every level. Literary excerpts help put America's craze for "kicks" into context. The Sneaker Book swooshes past the hype, puts the numbers on the table, and takes a fresh look at familiar--if unexamined--footwear.

Customer Reviews:

A good book on sneaks, but..........2002-02-05

"The Sneaker Book: Anatomy of an Industry and An Icon" is well-written and excellently researched. The badly-placed black-and-white sneaker photos and its academic tone, however, offer the book as an informative but slightly boring term paper on the sneaker industry. Casual readers will probably (and rightly) want more color and certainly more sneaker photographs, but these flaws do not seriously hamper the book.

Good Assemblage of Facts, Lousy Photo Placement.......1999-10-17

On the whole, I liked this informative book. Mr. Vanderbilt does an admirable job of giving us an insider's perspective on the athletic footwear industry and how it has insinuated itself into popular culture. I also enjoyed the stories and comments in the sidebars which bolster his perspective.

That said, the major thing that mars this book was the decision to place the photos of the sneakers along the spine. In terms of design, it was a poor decision, and it detracts from the text instead of enhancing it. I found myself flattening the book out as much as I could so I could see the photos, but even with that, the whole illustrative purpose of the photos was lost. If this book is ever updated, I suggest that the photos be placed somewhere that the reader can see them in their entirety.

A must for sneaker freaks.......1999-06-19

For a short book, Vanderbilt puts forth a lot of good information about athletic shoes, their history, and their meaning, especially among kids today. If you love sneakers, you'll love this book...

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Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Omnibus, Volume 2 (LA Times)
Sylvia Bursztyn , and Barry Tunick
Manufacturer: Random House Puzzles & Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crosswords | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Omnibus, Vol. 1

Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Omnibus, Volume 5 (LA Times)

Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles, Volume 24 (LA Times)

Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles, Volume 23 (LA Times)

Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles, Volume 25 (LA Times)

ASIN: 081292973X
Release Date: 1998-03-10

Book Description

This extra-value collection of 200 Los Angeles Times Sunday crosswords is a great bargain for anyone who loves fun-filled, pun-filled puzzles. The first omnibus collection from the LA Times was amazingly popular, and this second volume follows right in its footsteps.

Amazon.com

Nearly all business books deal with managing a company. The Valuable Office Professional, by Michelle Burke, addresses the usually neglected but nonetheless critical matter of managing a manager. Approaching issues from the perspective of the staff, Burke shows how to develop the assistant-boss relationship into a true partnership. Tips and exercises are included to help transform these often one-way associations into effective teams, even when the boss chooses not to see the assistant as a counterpart.

Customer Reviews:

Career minded Admin need this book.......2000-09-14

This book was great! I have Michelle Burke's five core competencies hanging in my office to let others know how seriously I take my career. I have read the book several times and have found it extremely useful and motivating. Great Book for anyone at any stage of their career.

Michelle Burke's Corporate Value.......2000-09-01

Burke's invaluable 'Valuable Office Professional' has saved our organization both the headaches of administrative training as well as the cost of on-going educational maintenance. The beauty of her insight applies quite poignantly to help increase the productivity of not only the office assistant but CEO's alike. Recommended for all who endeavor to succeed in corporate America.

The not so valuable book of office professionals........2000-06-27

I order the book and I started to read it as soon as I got it out of the box. I also ordered the Webster"s secretarial handbook. This book was a lot better and had useful information. The Valuable office professional was a bit confusing to read. The information was very pointless.

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