So Many books have been written about what it took technologically to put a man on the moon. What this book does is give the reader insight into what it took to get the resources to buy the technology. James Webb proved to be an expert when it came to serving many masters. The President(s), Key members of Congress and the NASA team. Would we have landed a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960's without Jim Webb? Probably Not.

A nice book about the second NASA administrator who able to guide NASA from the early days of the Mercury program to right up to the first journey to the moon (Apollo 8) when Webb was forced to leave as the Nixon Administration took over.

The book is divided into two parts. The first third of the book describes Webb's early years including his employment with the State Department, the Bureau of the Budget and Republic Supply, a division of Kerr-McGee. The remainder of the book focuses on Webb's involvement in the development of the NASA management system and the problems he overcame to get Apollo to the Moon.

In general, I found the book quite interesting. There are many descriptions of the personal battles he had to fight with contractors, the congress and his own top-level employees, how set up the NASA management system, his involvement with the academic world and in how upper management viewed various disasters and triumphs. The management system which he developed for the largest engineering and research effort mankind has ever undertaken, carried on well after he left NASA. For example, the Apollo 11 moon landing took place when it was suppose to even the there was a new Nixon appointed leader. This management system carried on well into the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs. I also found it refreshing that Jim Webb felt a sense of personal responsibility for the loss of the Apollo 1 crew. Compare that to the finger pointing associated with the Challenger explosion and the majority of today's politicians.

After finishing the book, I came away with the feeling that Jim Webb was truly believed in the dream that mankind should explore space and made every effort to make this dream a reality.