Product Description

How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive Beat America to the Moon.

"Fascinating . . . packed with technical and historical detail for the space expert and enthusiast alike . . . Great stuff!"–New Scientist

"In this exceptional book, James Harford pieces together a most compelling and well–written tale. . . . Must reading."–Space News.

"Through masterful research and an engaging narrative style, James Harford gives the world its first in–depth look at the man who should rightly be called the father of the Soviet space program."–Norman R. Augustine, CEO, Lockheed Martin.

"In Korolev, James Harford has written a masterly biography of this enigmatic ′Chief Designer′ whose role the Soviets kept secret for fear that Western agents might ′get at′ him."–Daily Telegraph.

"Harford′s fluency in Russian and his intimate knowledge of space technology give us insights that few, if any, Americans and Russians have had into this dark history of Soviet space."–Dr. Herbert Friedman, Chief Scientist, Hulburt Center for Space Research Naval Research Laboratory.

"Reveals the complex, driven personality of a man who, despite unjust imprisonment in the Gulag, toiled tirelessly for the Soviet military industrial complex. . . . More than just a biography, this is also a history of the Soviet space program at the height of the Cold War. . . . Highly recommended."–Library Journal.

"For decades the identity of the Russian Chief Designer who shocked the world with the launching of the first Sputnik was one of the Soviet Union′s best–kept secrets. This book tells vividly the story of that man, Sergei Korolev, in remarkable detail, with many facts and anecdotes previously unavailable to the West."–Sergei Khrushchev, Visiting Senior Fellow, Center for Foreign Policy Development.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #252409 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.20" h x 6.12" w x 9.30" l, 1.31 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Review
"In this exceptional book, James Harford pieces together a most compelling and well–written tale . . . must reading."–Space News

"A fascinating and perceptive history of the Russian space program.... Avid space enthusiasts will find this story a necessary addition to their knowledge of space exploration."–Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., former Director of Flight Operations, NASA

"His erudite and meticulously researched charting of the life and times of Korolev provides unique insights. . . . This is a fascinating book . . . for the space expert and enthusiast alike. Great stuff."–New Scientist

Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., former Director of Flight Operations, NASA
"A fascinating and perceptive history of the Russian space program.... Avid space enthusiasts will find this story a necessary addition to their knowledge of space exploration."--Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., former Director of Flight Operations, NASA

New Scientist
"His erudite and meticulously researched charting of the life and times of Korolev provides unique insights. . . . This is a fascinating book . . . for the space expert and enthusiast alike. Great stuff."--New Scientist

Customer Reviews

The "Moron on the Screen" - Respect at Last!
In the movie,"The Right Stuff," there is a scene where Lyndon Johnson is in a briefing room, viewing stolen film footage of the Soviet space program. As head of a White House Committee to get America's own space efforts back on track, Johnson seethes with frustration as he sees a smiling image of the mysterious Chief Designer. "Get that moron off the screen," he cries, as he can no longer take any more of what certainly appears to be gloating.

The man on the screen is Korolev, subject of Harford's exceptionally researched biography. As it turns out, Korolev was indeed "off the screen" of world events of the time. The very idea is so contrary to American impulses -- having a huge role to play in the glamourous, headline-grabbing battle of superpowers -- and remaining anonymous. This story is one of keeping what could have been a justifiably enormous ego under excruciatingly tight wraps. Perhaps it is a story which Americans now need to hear, in this age of media hype and instantly manufactured celebrities.

Harford tells of Korolev's rise to prominence in the Soviet space program with real passion. He does not, however, idealize, as he is careful to present many diverse opinions from many sources. Most of these come from deep within that bureaucratic enigma of Russian space engineering and research organizations. All told, however, the Chief Designer's life and times invoke tremendous respect and admiration. The pressures this man faced, developing the manned space flights as well as military missiles as well as spy sattelites ... as well as coping with a paranoid leadership which insisted on optimum results with far from adequate resources. Job stress redefined on a new level!

Harford's one miscue is that he often dwells too heavily on the technical details, citing scads of information which would most likely interest only the most devoted of space travel enthusiasts. Nevertheless, the book offers perhaps the best look yet into the people who "scared America" in the early days of the space race, developing a human drama every bit as intriguing as our own Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo efforts. It also stands as a late in coming, but necessary vindication for one man who willingly accepted being overlooked by the world -- as his cosmonauts soared in both the heavens and the world's imagination. Harford finally allows those of us who never knew anything about Korolev to say, "Hail,Sergei! We never knew how brilliant you were!"

Well written
I found this biography of Korolev to be very well researched and equally well written. It does a lot to put one of the least known, but most important scientists of the 20th century into perspective. The book has a few flaws though. It is very, very detailed on technical information, but is somewhat lacking in more personal details about Korolev's life. This small flaw makes to book a little less interesting, but also could have been unavoidable for the author. Undoubtedly Korolev, having lived under Stalin's rule and having spent time in the Soviet prison camp system, knew how to keep personal opinions to himself. Therefore, there just might not be much "personal information" available about Korolev for a historian to dig up. The book does bring out Korolev's excellent scientific and administrative abilities - the two keys to his sucess as a scientist and the early dramatic sucess of the Soviet space program. The book also shows why the Soviet space program faltered following Korolev's death. If you're interested in the history of space exploration or the Soviet Union, I highly recommend this book.

best book about russian "cosmos" writed by american man
Many thanks to Mr. Harford! Even russian aerospace specialists red the book with great interest.