The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemunde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missile Era [Hardcover]

Michael J. Neufeld (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1994

The story behind one of the greatest engineering feats of World War II. The Rocket and the Reich is the paradoxical tale of the creation of a technology that would prove so valuable to Allied powers after the war but ultimately proved a failure to the Germans during it. Two 8-page photo inserts; 6 maps and diagrams.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based on previously untapped sources, Neufeld's comprehensive history of German rocket research and development during WWII includes an analysis of Hitler's indirect involvement with the Peenemunde-based project and SS chief Heinrich Himmler's ultimate domination of it. The study reveals how the decision came about to use slave labor from the concentration camps to manufacture the terrifying "buzz bombs" that, according to Neufeld, had minimal effect on the course of the war. He presents solid evidence that the project's technical director-Wernher von Braun, who later headed NASA's rock booster program-was an SS officer, and describes his 1944 arrest accused of sabotaging the A-4 project by concentrating more on space flight than on his duties. Von Braun was freed after several days. The author discusses the postwar rebirth of the rocket program at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., where von Braun and several of his Peenemunde colleagues played a historic role in the development of the intercontinental ballistic missile and the space-launch vehicle. Neufeld, curator of WWII history at the National Air and Space Museum, has written a major study of the Nazi rocket program. Illustrations.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Neufeld, the curator of World War II history at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., provides a well-written, comprehensively researched analysis of Nazi Germany's missile program and its antecedents. The German army became interested in rocket technology during the 1930s at the urging of Karl Becker, an engineer who believed a radical new weapon could deliver a psychological blow to an enemy. The construction of Peenemunde in 1936-37 provided a focal point for research and development that made guided missiles a reality despite Germany's limited material and scientific resources. Neufeld shows that while the rocket program was not Nazi in origin, its leaders readily compromised themselves by accepting National Socialism, especially in agreeing to the widespread use of slave labor. A more ambiguous legacy of Peenemunde is its rocket technology, which decisively shaped the second half of the 20th century. For academic collections.
D.E. Showalter, Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; First Edition edition (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0029228956
• ISBN-13: 978-0029228951
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Incredible book but tough reading, January 27, 2002

By 

Christopher J. Martin (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemünde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missle Era (Paperback)

If you want to know a lot of technical information about the German rocket program in World War II this is the place to start. Neufeld has a grasp of the technical side of the program like no other historian, however his writing style leaves much to be desired. A good plus of the book is that he includes diagrams of the missles as well as a couple sections of pictures that give the reader an idea what the things and places he writes about look like. I found being able to visualize certain things makes understanding it much easier. He also includes an appendix with a chronology of the German rocket program that readers will find helpful for quick short references to each successive rocket in the program. Overall this is an excellent book, I give it 4 stars instead of 5 only due to Neufeld's writing style which makes this book tough going in some sections that include lots of boring, and in my opinion, overkill, technical detail.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extensive and well balanced., December 25, 2002

By 

Gunnar Mæhlum "maehlum" (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemünde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missle Era (Paperback)

The book covers both the political and technical matters of the V-2 (A-4) missile development. As the book is intended for a general audience the coverage of the technology is sufficient for the purpose of the book but not extremely detailed. This is also clear from the title of the book. The description of the political background and military situation is done in a very clear way. The list of references are extremely detailed and it is obviuos the the author has outstanding knowledge of the subject. The important persons are described in what I consider a very balanced way. I recommned this book to anyone wanting to learn about the inner workings of parts of the German WW2 military and political system as well as a the technology of these rockets. An excellent companion is the V-2 by Walter Dornberger which of course must be read with some caution due to the position of its author and time of publication.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Authoritive, but also too broad, June 19, 2005

By 

SuperSchtroumpf (Lyon, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemünde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missle Era (Paperback)

This is an excellent book that goes into exceptional detail about the engineering process and technical feats of the V-2 development. It is one of the best books on the V-2's techincal development aspects, where others are quicker and focus more on the effects of the V-2 attacks.

For example, Neufeld discusses at length problems of weight distribution, fin control, fuel, guidance, and even telemetry. The V-2 was an incredibly complicated weapon to develop; a casual person might think that putting a warhead on something long with fins with a rocket engine was easy - it was not.

Several years after reading this book, I worked on US missile engineering programs; the V-2 lessons were applicable 50 years later.

I have two minor issues with this book; first, the discussions of slave labor, personal responsibility, etc. could arguably be saved for another book. Understanding that to ignore them would be revisionist, this should be first and foremost a book about the rocket's technical history. Even the political history gets to be a distraction. Second, as a technical book, it does not and should not have widespread appeal. While I personally found the technical history fascinating, it is clear that not everyone will.

If Neufeld were ever to rewrite these books, perhaps a two or three part series covering the technical, political, and sociological histories separately would help readers focus on the aspects of the Rocket and the Riech that interest them most.