Sputnik: The Shock of the Century

by Paul Dickson

Overview

On October 4, 1957, the day Leave It to Beaver premiered on American television, the Soviet Union launched the space age. Sputnik, all of 184 pounds with only a radio transmitter inside its highly polished shell, became the first artificial satellite in space; while it immediately shocked the world, its long-term impact was even greater, for it profoundly changed the shape of the twentieth century.



Paul Dickson chronicles the dramatic events and developments leading up to and resulting from Sputnik’s launch. Supported by groundbreaking, original research and many declassified documents, Sputnik offers a fascinating profile of the early American and Soviet space programs and a strikingly revised picture of the politics and personalities behind the facade of America’s fledgling efforts to get into space.



The U.S. public reaction to Sputnik was monumental. In a single weekend, Americans were wrenched out of a mood of national smugness and postwar material comfort. Initial shock at and fear of the Soviets’ intentions galvanized the country and swiftly prompted innovative developments that define our world today. Sputnik directly or indirectly influenced nearly every aspect of American life: from an immediate shift toward science in the classroom to the arms race that defined the Cold War, the competition to reach the moon, and the birth of the internet.



By shedding new light on a pivotal era, Dickson expands our knowledge of the world we now inhabit and reminds us that the story of Sputnik goes far beyond technology and the beginning of the space age, and that its implications are still being felt today.

Paul Dickson, who has written more than sixty nonfiction books, covered the Apollo spaceflight program as a reporter leading up to the 1969 moon landing. Among his other works are A Dictionary of the Space Age and Out of This World: American Space Photography.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496215727
Publisher:	Nebraska
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	324
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 7.00(d)

About the Author

Paul Dickson, who has written more than sixty nonfiction books, covered the Apollo spaceflight program as a reporter leading up to the 1969 moon landing. Among his other works are A Dictionary of the Space Age and Out of This World: American Space Photography.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Sputnik Night
2. Gravity Fighters
3. Vengeance Rocket
4. An Open Sky
5. The Birth of Sputnik
6. Red Monday
7. Dog Days
8. American Birds
9. Ike Scores
10. Sputnik’s Legacy
Epilogue
Appendix: Sputnik’s Long, Lexical Orbit
Author’s Note, Acknowledgments, and Dedication
Notes
Bibliography
Index
 

Editorial Reviews

“American arrogance, trumped by the Soviet surprise, led to an unparalleled time of national flagellation and self-doubt. Out of it all came the triumph of Apollo as American determination and spirit responded to the wake-up call of Sputnik. This book vividly reminded me of the powerful events that led me from an impressionable kid to an Apollo 9 astronaut.”—Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 astronaut

Rusty Schweickart

“[Dickson’s] research is painstaking, his attention to detail exemplary. . . . It flows smoothly and clearly—an admirable quality in writing.”—Philadelphia Inquirer
 

Philadelphia Inquirer

“Entertaining, admirably straightforward.”—Wilson Quarterly
 

Wilson Quarterly

“A fascinating slice of useful social history.”—USA Today
 

USA Today

“Captures the excitement and angst of the dawning of the Space Age.”—Dallas Morning News
 

Dallas Morning News

“Paul Dickson’s indefatigable research and reportorial lucidity have given us a fascinating history of the event that forever changed our world.”—Walter Cronkite
 

Walter Cronkite

“A terrific book.”—Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
 

Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

“An ominous foreign presence suddenly seems to take control of the skies—‘Another Pearl Harbor!’ some shout. Initial fears are replaced by a determination to meet the challenge, and America declares that life has changed forever. Sounds familiar, but the transforming event of Paul Dickson’s book is not the crash of hijacked airliners [on] September 11; it is the Soviet Union’s launch in October 1957 of Sputnik.”—Washington Post Book World
 

Washington Post Book World

“A superbly detailed account of the people and events that first took us off the surface of the Earth.”—Col. Chris Hadfield, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut
 

Colonel Chris Hadfield

A fascinating slice of useful social history.”—USA Today
 

USA Today

An ominous foreign presence suddenly seems to take control of the skies—'Another Pearl Harbor!' some shout. Initial fears are replaced by a determination to meet the challenge, and America declares that life has changed forever. Sounds familiar, but the transforming event of Paul Dickson's book is not the crash of hijacked airliners last 9/11; it is the Soviet Union's launch in October 1957 of Sputnk, the first man-made satellite.” —Washington Post

“Sputnik is a fascinating slice of useful social history...A serious book that is breezily written, Sputnik reviews the scientific history, the Cold War mentality and a media-driven crisis over what headline writers called 'the Red Moon' .” —USA Today

“Dickson examines the impact of Sputnik from all angles, noting the hysteria it incited, minutely detailing the advances-both in science and PR-of the Soviet and U.S. space programs, and delivering an appendix explaining the satellite's influence on the English language.” —Entertainment Weekly

“[Dickson's] research is painstaking, his attention to detail exemplary. . .it flows smoothly and clearly - an admirable quality in history.” —Philadelphia Inquirer

“How ironic that the Earth's first artificial satellite launched a sea of change in technology, politics, and society. Dickson's book chronicles the Sputnik event as well as its global effects. Sputnik takes a close look at why Sputnik shocked America and heightened the Cold War. Sprinkled with photos and quotes, this book provides an easy, compelling read. Frequent footnotes containing anecdotes and sidelights add interest throughout.” —Astronomy

“The best book on the political shockwaves following Sputnik.” —New Scientist

“This is a stunning book that captures the excitement and angst of the dawning of the space age.” —Dallas Morning News

“Paul Dickson skillfully puts the story of Sputnik and its aftermath into this new perspective in his informative and readable book.” —Christian Science Monitor

“Dickson is even-handed in his treatment of many clashing agenda and personalities, governmental and military. Sputnik should climb far up the lists, and have a long ride.” —Baltimore Sun

“Culling from recently declassified documents as well as traditional historical assessments and news accounts, [Dickson] resurrects the drama and intrigue surrounding Sputnik with a perspective space junkies will find illuminating and new.” —Houston Chronicle

“Like the best social and scientific histories, Dickson's look back in time sheds a clearer beam on the road ahead.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher