Book Log 2007 #59: A Ball, a Dog, and a Monkey: 1957 - The Space Race Begins by Michael D'Antonio

One of the books that came out in the wake of the 50th anniversary of the Sputnik launch, this mainly focuses on the US reaction to the launch and the year or so afterwards where the US was playing catch-up. And while it does a nice job of balancing the story between the people and the hardware, it's a bit too general, I think. I'd have liked more detail on some of the major themes, such as the interservice battle to provide the US with its main launch vehicle or the social changes to the Cape Canaveral area outside of killer traffic. I'd also have liked more information on the Soviet side of things.

The book did pique my interest in the period, and there are some more specific books out there, so this may be best viewed as an introduction to the early space race.