TITAN II [Hardcover]

DAVID STUMPF (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: University of Arkansas Press (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557286019
• ISBN-13: 978-1557286017
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great, Detailed History of A Missile Program, July 10, 2000

By 

Dwayne A. Day (Vienna, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: TITAN II (Hardcover)

There are a number of good books on the history of ballistic missiles. Edmund Beard, Richard Armacost and Harold Sapolski have all written classic books on the management of early ballistic missile programs. There are some more recent books that either re-cover this earlier ground or add to it. However, there are no real technical histories devoted to the development of any of the ballistic missiles the United States has built over the years. This book begins to fill that void.

David Stumpf previously wrote a book on the Navy's Regulus cruise missile that is a pretty comprehensive history. He did a good job with that one. Now he has turned his attention to the Titan II and done another great job.

Titan II is a detailed history of the development of the United States' second ICBM (technically, it could be considered the third, since it bears only limited resemblance to the Titan I that preceded it). This is a book focused on the technical development of the missile, the development and construction of its launch silos, its launch tests, its operational history, and its retirement from service in the 1980s. It is filled with illustrations, most of which have never been published before. And it is clear from his sources that he did not simply review previously published articles on the Titan II, but interviewed the people who worked on it and gathered information from private archives and previously classified materials.

The book does not go into the development of the space launch version of the Titan. The history of the development of the Titan III and the Titan IV rockets still awaits writing. He does, however, include a chapter on the refurbishment of old Titan II ICBMs into launch vehicles during the 1980s.

Stumpf includes an interesting discussion of the development of missile reentry vehicles. This is a subject that I personally believe could use a book in itself. I think it would be fascinating to trace the development of this technology.

Stumpf also includes an extensive discussion of several accidents involving the Titan II. And he discusses how and why the missiles were ultimately removed from service.

There are also useful appendices at the end of the book, listing the various flight tests (and their accuracy), the missiles produced, and other details.

We can only hope that he turns his attention to other early Cold War missile programs. This is an impressive piece of work.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and entertaining, May 31, 2001

By 

Glenbot "glenbot" (Seal Beach, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: TITAN II (Hardcover)

I was expecting the typical academic or historical reference that is chock full of info, but fairly dull to read. As the cliche goes, you can't judge a book by its cover. Mr. Stumpf has done a great job of writing also. He details the beginnings of the program, operational aspects and the fatal accidents which seem to have been forgotten over the years.

He even details the program to turn the old warhorses into satellite launch vehicles and the remaining silo, now a musuem in Arizona.

Like the previous reviewer, I would have liked to seen some info on the Titan II and the Gemini program.

If you're a space or Cold War buff, read this book, then visit the silo/museum in Green Valley, Ariz.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You need this book..., May 26, 2006

By 

Roger Sanders (Salt Lake City,Utah) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: TITAN II (Hardcover)

Wow another wonderful cold war missile history book.This book is so imformative it get right down to the nuts and bolts that kept this mighty missile together.If you want to learn about what Titan was and what it did to protect us then get this book now trust me it's that good.