LIFE The Great Space Race

Forged in the cauldron of both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Gulag-and fueled by the development of nuclear weapons during the Cold War- The Great Space Race is an epic drama filled with triumphs and tragedies, both technological and deeply human, that riveted the U.S. even as it seemed the fate of the free world (perhaps even the world itself ) hung in the balance. The book features rare, exclusive photographs and thrilling reporting, reflecting LIFE's insider access to the astronauts, their fami