Red Moon Rising

Archival Summary & Scope

Matthew Brzezinski's *Red Moon Rising* reveals the dramatic, behind-the-scenes battles on Earth surrounding Sputnik's 1957 launch. Drawing on original interviews and new documents, Brzezinski plunges into the paranoia and fierce internal struggles within the Kremlin, White House, and secret facilities, where Russians and Americans often distrusted their compatriots as much as their rivals. This vivid narrative brings to life an eclectic cast—from U.S. presidents and gulag survivors to corporate chieftains and ambitious apparatchiks—uncovering the untold, cinematic story of the space age's true origins.