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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

This book provides a clear image of how the German or the American born in Germany space pioneers contributed to the effort of the United States to reach the Moon, and also tells about the attitude opposed to the space flight they encountered. It is a document that will be a definite contribution to the history of the space voyages.

This work is suitable both for the general readership wishing to know more about the origins of the space program and its first years, and for the student who needs a reference book easy to manage.

(Extracted from the comments by H.H. Koelle and Mitchell R. Sharpe on the back cover).

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contents.

-Preface.

-Prologue. Konrad Dannenberg.

-Chapter I: Hermann Oberth: The Father of Space Travel.

-Chapter II: The Battle of the Formulae.

-Chapter III: From Theory to Experimentation.

-Chapter IV: Peenemünde: A Scientific Mobilization.

-Chapter V: How the A-4 Rocket Became the V-2.

-Chapter VI: Coming to America: Operation Paperclip.

-Chapter VII: The Space Age Begins!

-Chapter VIII: Willy Ley Rallies the Nation for Space.

-Chapter IX: Wernher von Braun: The Columbus of Space.

-Chapter X: Krafft Ehricke's Extraterrestrial Imperative.

-Epilogue.

-Bibliography.

-Index.

-About the Author.

OUR REVIEW

The contribution of the German scientists to the space race is much more important than one tends to believe. Political interests contributed to minimize such thing. After all, Germany had just had a war against the USA and the Soviet Union. The governments of these countries, and especially the former, who was the one to benefit most from such scientists, had to present this collaboration with the Germans as a national activity. The book does not limit itself to narrating the German aerospace research up till the Second World War, but follows the scientists in their American adventure and their remarkable activity when building up the Apollo program.

Although the author shows her sympathy towards the main German scientists, she does not hide the accusations of nazism they were charged with. In such a delicate issue, she offers with neutrality several versions about the truthfulness of a part of such charges, even if her presentation of the circumstances tends to deny such accusations. This work is useful as a reference book, as it includes data about historical facts little divulged for years because of military secretiveness. It also is wonderful for a general read. The narration, in a pleasant style that includes some interesting anecdotes, makes it a pleasure to read the book.