John M. Logsdon is a world-recognized historian and analyst of space issues. His award winning Palgrave book, John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon (2010) received a wide range of positive reviews. Dr. Logsdon is Professor Emeritus at The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, and was the founder and long-time Director of GW's Space Policy Institute.

"Logsdon (emer., George Washington Univ.) does a nice job of telling the story of what the US wanted to do in space after project Apollo. ... The book includes halftone photographs and bibliographic references in lieu of a formal bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended. Researchers, professionals, general readers." (J. Z. Kiss, Choice, Vol. 53 (5), January, 2016)

• Introduction Overture   Act I 1. Richard Nixon and Apollo 11 2. Setting the Post-Apollo Stage 3. After the Moon, Mars?  4. Space and National Priorities 5. The Nixon Space Doctrine 6. The End of the Apollo Era Intermission   Act II 7. A New Cast of Characters 8. The Space Shuttle Takes Center Stage  9. National Security Requirements Drive Shuttle Design 10. A Time of Transitions 11. A Confused Path Forward 12. Debating a Shuttle Decision  13. Which Shuttle to Approve? 14. A 'Space Clipper'   Finale 15. Richard Nixon and the American Space Program