James Webb, JFK and the Secret History of Project Apollo.
In spring 1961 former Washington businessman James E. Webb took charge of the grandest exploration project ever known: America's bid for the Moon. He persuaded John F. Kennedy to support him and gained control of 5% of the US federal budget. Webb's NASA supervised half a million workers across America as they built new machines, launch pads and control centres.
But in 1967 a spacecraft caught fire, killing three astronauts. The press exposed a series of failures, as well as the profiteering of Webb's business partners. To protect NASA's future, Webb faced political and press interrogations, and took the blame for the corruption and deaths. His sacrifice enabled his colleagues to land on the Moon by the end of the decade. America had won the Space Race - but the name of the man who made it possible was wiped from history.
