T. A. Heppenheimer's acclaimed chronicle of rockets, politics, and the pioneers who dared to reach beyond humanity's limits.

"The most comprehensive, up-to-date, and best written history of space flight there is."
-The Times (London)

"A lively account of the development of space activities in the U.S. and the Soviet Union . . . as good a one-volume overview of space as exists."
-Scientific American

"Countdown is by far the best history of space flight I have ever read. It is detailed, lucidly written for the layman, and full of fascinating stories."
-Adrian Berry, Daily Telegraph

"Science writer Heppenheimer's readable account provides a timely historical overview of the early visionaries, the engineers, and the geopolitical forces that placed men on the moon and created today's aerospace industry. . . . A thoughtful analysis that is highly recommended."
-Library Journal

"By far the most significant and technically insightful account of the ventures into the space environment I have seen. . . . [Heppenheimer] concentrates unerringly on key elements, both technical and managerial, in this account of man's initial space ventures."
-Lee Atwood, Former president and chairman, North American Aviation Corporation

"Like a skilled artisan, Heppenheimer weaves social, political, scientific, technological, military, and economic threads of the history of space flight into a tapestry that reveals fascinating patterns and themes."
-Publishers Weekly

About the Author

T. A. HEPPENHEIMER, Ph.D., has written extensively on aerospace, business, and the history of technology. A frequent contributor to Discover, Forbes, Nature, Omni, and American Heritage magazines, he is the author of six previous books, including Turbulent Skies: The History of Commercial Aviation (Wiley). Dr. Heppenheimer divides his time between Fountain Valley, California, and West Palm Beach, Florida.

Reviews

"A lively account of the development of space activities in the U.S. and the Soviet Union . . . as good a one-volume overview of space as exists."
-Scientific American

"If you've already got loads of books on the history of space flight, great news: you can give them all to Oxfam . . . All you need now is this, the most comprehensive, up-to-date and best written history of space flight there is."
-The Times (London)

"By far the most significant and technically insightful account of the ventures into the space environment I have seen."
-Lee Atwood, former president and chairman, North American Aviation

"By far the best history of space flight I have ever read. It is detailed, lucidly written for the layman, and full of fascinating stories."
-Adrian Berry, Daily Telegraph

Book Information
ISBN 9780471291053
Author T. A. Heppenheimer
Format Paperback
Page Count 420
Imprint John Wiley & Sons Inc
Publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc
Weight(grams) 626g
Dimensions(mm) 237mm * 158mm * 29mm