Customer Reviews

STAR TREK Spaceflight Chronology

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I own a copy of this book and was looking for a copy to give to a friend. I have really enjoyed the history in this book as well as the creative ideas of where mankind maybe in the future with space travel. I would be lying if I did not rate this book with 5 stars!

FINALLY, I found a reference to this book! Although it doesn't follow the recently developed time line (AR-After Roddenbury), this book is a feast. I believe Father Gene would rather us believe this history than what they are "pumping" out of the hollywood mold. The last time I saw a copy was in the mid '80s. I personally do not own a copy (YET!), but remember it's rich historical logs and the pictures (OH the pictures) of all the spacecraft to 1701. And as a treat, I remember stickers being included that represented the different signs on the ship! Anyone know where I can get a good copy?

The reviews are true...it beats any ST tech book, ever. Probably ANY Trek book ever. A year by year chronology, far more interesting and logical than the "canon" that's been established. TONS of Rick Sternbach's starship designs AND technical specs...every spaceship from Mercury capsules and the Space Shuttle up to the starship Enterprise. Very interesting feature: the spaceflight chronology is told by the use of log entries (so THAT'S what they're for!) It was Paramount licensed at the time of The Motion Picture, it's got all of Sternbach's designs, hey, it's canon! Too bad it's practically unknown, because it really is excellent, in all respects.

This book is the original canon upon which the classical series was based as well as good part of the Next Generation series. After that the series no longer followed the book but it continued to be used as reference.
The First Contact film is an example. It contained all the basic ideas of the book, like the contact with vulcans and the first tentative warp drive, but they've changed the fact that Cochrane was an alien to make him human, so it would appeal to human pride and therefore to public interest.
The contemporary series Enterprise also contains elements of the book, albeit with some changes. I'm not going to put spoilers here, but as an incentive it describes how the Federation was founded and the Romulan wars, which are a few years ahead of the timing in which the series is passed.
I stronlgly recommend this book, I owed this book for many years until I gave it to a Trekkie fan which is a friend of mine.

I came across a copy of this book back in 1983, and consider it the basis from which all other Star Trek movies and series should be based. The illustrations are great and the fictional news stories make it read like a history text. I highly recommend it.

I bought this book while in high school in the early 1980s. It is the first book on Star Trek that I read, and it served as a basis for my understanding of Trek's "future history."

The book is compelling, done in the form of a history text book, taking the reader from the Cold War Space Race and the launch of Sputnik to the Constitution II Class USS Enterprise.

Much of the early timeline is outdated for a couple of reasons. The first of which is our actual history is overlapping in a much more positive way than the glum early 21st century vision of the authors. Second is the fact of the current post-Roddenberry crew at Paramount and their decision to go their separate ways with Gene's vision.

I will note, however, that the most recent TV series, "Enterprise" made a valiant attempt to return to the themes of this book and of Roddenberry: That mankind will rebound from a terrible world war, reunite, explore the galaxy, and partner with a number of other planets to form a peace-loving/freedom-loving Federation.

This is an important addition to any Trek collector's library.

I bought and read this book in 1980, and have always believed it was the official Great bird of the Galaxy (Gene Rodenberry) sanctioned future history of star trek. Page 65 states that in the year 2048 UNSS Icarus reaches Alpha centauri,and they meet with an Alpha centauri scientist named Zefrem Cochrane, The movie First Contact would have you believe Zefrem Cochrane is an Earthman. Oh How Mr Rodenberry must be turning in his grave!! This is an excelent book in an easy readable form.

While STAR TREK Spaceflight Chronology is generally considered to be non-cannon by the STAR TREK community - it contains and explains some of the tidbits that you might have wondered "Where the heck did that come from?"

Good things: The book is rich in full-color concept art from the old series and moving into the first movie. It contains star charts which deal, primarily with races from the Movies. There is a brief history about the Romulan War. It covers the period of the Eugenics Wars which, as you all know, happened in 1996 while you were sleeping. It contains specifications for the Constitution II Class and for the DY-500 series sleeper ships in addition to other starships you may have seen in comparison sheets and on ship consoles, but never knew where they came from.

(The Constitution II Class, also refered to as the Constitution Refit, is the design used for the Enterprise-A. And, while you have certainly seen schematics for the Enterprise-A you probably didn't know that the phasers' power conduits were rerouted to take power directly from the warp drives so as to increase their effectiveness - a detail explained in this book.)

Bad things: The STAR TREK timeline has been rewritten since it was published and many of its dates and in some cases - entire periods are in stark contrast with what has been shown in the television shows and movies. Launch dates for ships deviate from what is now accepted, and it contains a different version for how Humans met Vulcans than what has been shown in the movies.

Why would you buy it?

You would buy this book if you are interested in knowing the extreme and obscure details of STAR TREK - especially the useless ones.

Why wouldn't I buy this book?

You wouldn't want to buy this book if you get angry when STAR TREK makes mistakes and accidentally rewrites their own history.

Summary:

This book contains some gems of information, but most of the book is now irrelevant.

. . ."First Contact" was a disappointment of Warp 10 proportions!

I was a "Trekkie". For many, many years, beginning in Jr. High (where I discovered this book), continuing through my highschool and college years, and many years since. However, since the death of the Great Bird of the Galaxy, I have been increasingly disappointed with what the "Star Trek" universe has become.

This book was the ORIGINAL "Chronology" of the future for Trek fans. What has come after is a destruction and desecration of Roddenberry's original vision. I'm sorry that this book is out of print and remains largely unknown to the Trek fans of today. The illustrations are wonderful, the "tie-ins" with the episodes of "Classic Trek" are wonderful, the imaginary history is wonderful -- and although the book predates most of the Classic Trek movies (it came out about the same time as "Star Trek: The Motion Picture") it dovetails nicely with the films and many of the original Star Trek novels.

Unfortunately, the current powers and authorities running the Star Trek universe have rejected this work in favor of their own agendas -- and why I no longer purchase Star Trek novels, see the movies in their theatrical releases, or watch the new series.

May God forgive Rick Berman and his ilk for what they have done to the inspiring and fresh vision of Gene Roddenberry -- but I suspect that many "TRUE" Star Trek fans will not.

Find this book, buy it -- whatever the cost, and see for yourself what the Star Trek universe was -- and still SHOULD be.

This book however interesting is a disgrace! it is not based on anything trek but the names of the planets and starships it states zefrem chocrane was an alien! this is a noncanon book that was not accepted into the star trek universe for a good reason.

A waste of ink.