[FPSPACE] The Definitive Soviet space history book

[Woods, Dave]

The thing I find so impressive with the book is the set of 
footnotes and reference: typically four or five per page.
At 1011 pages thats ....... a lot.  It is indeed an impressive
work, with numerous pictures of the various personalities
and technical illustrations of some of the hardware involved.
Definitely a must-add-to-your-library edition.

Dave

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Dwayne Allen Day [SMTP:wayneday@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu]
> Sent:	Thursday, August 31, 2000 8:53 AM
> Cc:	fpspace@solar.rtd.utk.edu
> Subject:	[FPSPACE] The Definitive Soviet space history book
> 
> 
> Fellow FP Spacer and all-around-nice guy Asif Siddiqi has a new book out
> on the history of the Soviet space program and it is one damn impressive
> piece of work.
> 
> First, I have to mention the dimensions.  This thing is huge.  It is
> easily two inches thick (4 meters for those members of the audience using
> the metric system) and it probably weighs three pounds (7.8 hectares for
> our metric friends).  Seriously, everyone should get a copy simply to use
> for personal defense.  Hold it up in front of you and you can deflect a
> bullet aimed at your heart.  Throw it with sufficient velocity and you can
> crush a man's skull.
> 
> Okay, okay I know...
> 
> The book is titled Challenge to Apollo and it covers the history of the
> Soviet space program from 1945 until 1974.  The book is 1011 pages long.
> 
> (Yes, that is right.  Let me repeat it:  ONE THOUSAND AND ELEVEN PAGES.)
> 
> I admit to not having even started to read it.  However, everyone who has
> read it who I have talked to (about half a dozen people) has said it is
> outstanding.  Not just okay.  Not just good.  But outstanding.
> It covers everything, from Korolev's time in the prison camp to the lunar
> program to the Salyut space stations.  This is now the DEFINITIVE
> English-language space history book.  As we say in Washington, our man
> Asif now has some pretty impressive creds...
> 
> It is a NASA SP publication.  Hard cover with quite a few illustrations,
> line drawings, and many many tables and appendices and all that kind of
> stuff.
> 
> So, if you are at all interested in the Soviet space program (and if you
> aren't, what the heck are you doing in FPSpace?!), then you should
> immediately get this book, quit your job, and spend the next three months
> of your life reading it.
> 
> Go buy Challenge to Apollo.  You hear me?  Get it right now.
> 
> DDAY