What is the perspective in the nonfiction book, The Heavens and the Earth?

The author, Walter A. McDougall, is an academic and historian and has the background and expertise to write a book of this kind, especially by putting the space race into a political perspective. This makes the book very interesting to see how the events in the space arena are tied to political events. The author does a good job of explaining the events of the space race with the political context of the Cold War. McDougall was interested in international relations in the area of things like oceans and other non-territorial areas and how international rivalry affects technology and the rate of change of technology. Both of these areas come together in the space race. Space is not owned by any one country or entity and certainly involves a lot of technology to investigate.