Two Sides of the Moon: Our Story of the Cold War Space Race

The format of the book is that periods from 1965 to 1975 are split into arbitariry portions and each astronaut/cosmonaut writes anything between a couple of paragraphs and several pages on subjects such as events in his personal life, his country but mainly in his countries space programme. Because of the format used the book is very easy to read and can skip effortlessly from USA to the USSR and back again without losing any momentum or it feeling forced. All the main characters and events are covered from a personal perspective, the first satellite –Sputnik, Korolev, von Braun, Gargarins first space flight, the death of Komarov, Americas initial problems getting a reliable launch vehicle, the tragedy of Apollo 1, the USSR/USA casualties that occurred during training/preparation for flights as well as all the successes of the various missions and the men behind them. Fascinating stuff.

The only slight disappointment for me came in the Epilogue where Scott uses it for a bit of gloating/ political tub-thumping over America getting to the Moon first. It’s nothing too major but I goes so much against the spirit in which the rest of the book is written that it’s really noticeable and a bit puzzling.

In short, one of the best books I’ve read on the subject. Recommended.


USA -V- RUSSIA RESULT SCORE DRAW   February 7, 2005
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

There are very few books left by any of the Mercury-Apollo astronaughts that I have not read, so I had a good idea of what to expect. However, these two early explorers attack thier subject in a very refreshing manner that makes this an enjoyable read.
I had anticiapted that Dave Scott would use the book as a chance to bite back as some NASA officials for making him and his crew scapegoat for selling spaceflight memrobillia. I guess this had always been a minor perk with most US astronaughts when they put their neck on the line, sitting on top of a balistic missile. However, Scott comes across as one of the less arrogant astronaughts and deals with the issus in a fair an practicle way (which others do not)
Leonov and Scott come across as the type of guys you would be happy to sit down and share a beer (or vodka) with in a bar. A good book and a worthy addtion to my colletion .


Exceptional   June 29, 2004
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I bought this book because I like space related titles, however this book also provides a real (scary) insight into the workings of the US and USSR at the height of the cold war from the people at the front provided from both sides.

Two amazing men who are real explorers of the 20th Century