Rocket Man: Robert H. Goddard and the Birth of the Space Age
by David A. Clary
Book Summary Information
Author: David A. ClaryEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2004-08-11
ISBN: 0786887052
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Hyperion
Book Reviews of Rocket Man: Robert H. Goddard and the Birth of the Space Age
Book Review: A fine biography
Summary: 4 Stars
Clary's Rocket Man is a fine biography of Robert Goddard. The work is eminently readable. Clary does a fine job of recounting the technical challenges that Goddard faced yet never lets the technology overwhelm the biography. The key in a biography is to get to the underlying person and Clary does this very well.
Goddard sits on the transition between the age of the individual inventor and "big science". In the era of "big science" projects may be lead by a person of singular genius, but the scale and scope is too big for person working alone to achieve mastery. Thus, while Goddard achieved first success with most aspects of liquid fueled rocketry, his rockets remained small while Germany pushed ahead to the larger V-2. Clary touches on this issue but does not make it explicit.
Similarly, in weapons development and post-war sounding rockets the U.S. developed solid fuel rockets. Clary writes of Goddard turning away from solid fuel, but a Cal Tech team coming back to it. More development of the changes that made solid fuel viable in the '40s or why liquid fuel was desirable for later rockets would have been welcome.
These concerns are minor. Enjoy Clary's work and insight into this pioneer of rocketry.
Arts & Photography Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Roswell, NM History!
Hobbs and Lea County (Images of America: New Mexico)by Max A. Clampitt
Arcadia Publishing; Published: 2008-12-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.12
Price in other shops:
Historic Roswell Georgia (GA) (Images of America)by Joe McTyre, Rebecca Nash Paden
Arcadia Publishing; Published: 2001-07-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.32
Price in other shops:
For old times' sakeby Clarence S Adams
Hall-Poorbaugh Press; Published: 1980; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.00
Treasures of History IV: Historical Events of Chaves County, New Mexicoby Elvis E Fleming
iUniverse.com; Published: 2003-10-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $26.06
Price in other shops:
Treasures of History Two: Chaves County VignettesChaves County Historical Soc; Published: 1991-10; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
TREASURES OF HISTORY.- Historic Buildings in Chaves County, 1870-1935.by William E et All Eds. Gibbs
Chaves County Historical Society,; Published: 1991-01-01; Paperback; Book
The Roswell Incidentby Charles Berlitz, William L. Moore
MJF Books; Published: 1997-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $59.95
Place of Her Own: The Story of Elizabeth Garrettby Ruth K. Hall
Sunstone Press; Published: 1983-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.95
Rocket Man: Robert H. Goddard and the Birth of the Space Ageby David A. Clary
Hyperion; Published: 2004-08-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.98
Price in other shops:
Fifty Years of Roswell History - 1867-1917by James D. Shinkle
Hall-Poorbaugh Press; Published: 1964; Hardcover; Book
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)by David Schrunk, Burton Sharpe, Bonnie L. Cooper, Madhu Thangavelu
Praxis; Published: 2007-10-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $20.69
Price in other shops:
First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrongby James R. Hansen
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2006-10-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.54
Price in other shops:
At the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Programby Milton O. Thompson
Smithsonian; Published: 2003-02-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.62
Price in other shops:
Robert Goddard and the Liquid Rocket Engine (Unlocking the Secrets of Science)by John Bankston
Mitchell Lane Publishers; Published: 2001-10-01; Library Binding; Book
Best price: $25.61
Price in other shops:
Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moonby Craig Nelson
Viking Adult; Published: 2009-06-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.95
Price in other shops:
Project MARS: A Technical Taleby Dr. Wernher von Braun
Collector's Guide Publishing, Inc.; Published: 2006-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
Rockets (Engineering)by Robert Goddard
Dover Publications; Published: 2002-10-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.48
Price in other shops:
Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of Warby Michael J. Neufeld
Knopf; Published: 2007-09-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.48
Price in other shops:
Dr. Space: The Life of Wernher von Braunby Bob Ward
Naval Institute Press; Published: 2009-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.03
Price in other shops:
Rocket Man: The Story of Robert Goddard (Trailblazer Biographies)by Thomas Streissguth
Carolrhoda Books; Published: 1995-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $23.89
Price in other shops: