Rockets and Missiles: The Life Story of a Technology [Paperback]

A. Bowdoin van Van Riper (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0801887925 | ISBN-13: 978-0801887925 | Publication Date: October 29, 2007

Beginning with World War II, missiles transformed the art of war. For the first time, cities of warring nations were vulnerable to sudden, unannounced, long-distance attacks. At the same time, rockets made possible one of the great triumphs of the modern age—the exploration of space. Beginning with the origins of rocketry in medieval and early modern Asia, Rockets and Missiles traces the history of the technology that led to both the great fear of global warfare and the great excitement of the Space Age.

This volume focuses on rocketry in late-twentieth-century Western Europe, Russia, and the United States, as well as the spread of rocket technology to East Asia and the Middle East. It covers the full history of rocket technology—including how rockets improved in performance, reliability, and versatility and how they affected everyday life.

(2008)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This volume provides a concise, clear history of rockets and missiles from ancient times to the present... Van Riper does an exemplary job in lifting out the critical points from a mass of potentially intimidating detail, and explaining these in terms that lay persons can grasp... In sum, this book recommends itself as a lucid history of missile technology for the general reader.

(Richard Beyler H-Net Reviews )

Book Description

Introduces readers to the history of rocket and missile technology and its impact on society.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (October 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801887925
• ISBN-13: 978-0801887925
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,482,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a historian who writes mostly about the history of science and technology and images of science and technology in American popular culture. This blurb is a placeholder for something longer and more complete.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars brief history, August 31, 2008

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rockets and Missiles: The Life Story of a Technology (Paperback)

In a concise manner, the author gives a history of rocketry and missiles. Starting with black powder used by the Chinese. But then rapidly the narrative passes to the Europeans, who used and improved it in their interminable wars. Naturally, most of the book is about the 20th century. Relating the advances made by both sides in World War 2.

Then in the Cold War, rockets become exoatmospheric. Some were used for research, to carry satellites into orbit, or launch probes into high altitudes. But others were ICBMs. The book relates the frantic arms race between the US and Soviet Union, with Britain, France and China playing only bit parts.

The space race is described, where we see the massive Saturn 5s that were used to launch moon missions.

Unfortunately, if you read between the lines, progress in rocket propulsion has largely stalled. The end of the Cold War removed one major motivation. But also, the chemical and mechanical technologies appear to have plateaued, leaving us with still every high launch costs per kilo of payload.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read!, July 24, 2011

By 

kclam (Hong Kong, China) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Rockets and Missiles: The Life Story of a Technology (Paperback)

This book offers a interesting overview of the history of rocket technology in the 20th century. Some technical details of the technology are also presented.

Of particular interests are the vivid accounts of Apollo spacecraft, Space Shuttle, Intercontinental ballistic missiles, Submarine-launched ballistic missiles, Tactical guided Patriot missiles, Missile defense and Arms control.

Missiles have evolved in the past decades and major changes have been made in their design. In contrast, improvements of the propulsion systems have been incremental only. However, the robot probe (Deep Space 1) was launched by an innovative propulsion system (a small ion engine) to study comet Borredly in 1998. This technology demonstrator may be evaluated for use on future spacecraft!