Korolev - James J Harford

"Harfords fluency in Russian and his intimate knowledge of space technology give us insights that few, if any, Americans and Russians have had into this dark history of Soviet space." Dr. Herbert Friedman, Chief Scientist, Hulburt Center for Space Research Naval Research Laboratory

"For decades the identity of the Russian Chief Designer who shocked the world with the launching of the first Sputnik was one of the Soviet Unions best kept secrets. This book tells vividly the story of that man, Sergei Korolev, in remarkable detail, with many facts and anecdotes previously unavailable to the West." Sergei Khrushchev, Visiting Senior Fellow, Center for Foreign Policy Development

"Through masterful research and an engaging narrative style, James Harford gives the world its first indepth look at the man who should rightly be called the father of the Soviet space program." Norman R. Augustine, CEO, Lockheed Martin

"Avid space enthusiasts will find this story a necessary addition to their knowledge . . . of space exploration." Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., former Director of Flight Operations, NASA

"Must reading for anyone who would understand how a backward country could achieve so much success in a field demanding a level of accomplishment which few nations could have pulled off." Dr. John L. McLucas, former Secretary, U. S. Air Force

"Magnificent . . . the book will be a basic reference for historians concerned with Soviet science, technology, and politics during the cold war." Robert C. Seamans, Jr., former Deputy Administrator, NASA

How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive to Beat America to the Moon

August 21, 1957. A Soviet rocket propels a simulated nuclear warhead from Baikonur to the Kamchatka Peninsula, a distance of more than four thousand miles. Six weeks later the world is stunned by the launch of Sputnik. While the United States furiously steps up its own space program, scientists and engineers everywhere wonder how the Soviet Union was able to achieve such a coup. The answer lay within the mind of one man: Korolev.

A mysterious figure, virtually unknown even in his own country, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev masterminded not only the historic launch of Sputnik and the first intercontinental ballistic missile, but Yuri Gagarins epochal space flight, and, ultimately, the Soviet attempt to beat America to the moon. Who was Korolev? Where did he come from? Why is so little known about him? In this groundbreaking new book, James Harford uncovers the extraordinary story of one of the true pioneers of the space program.

Based on extensive interviews with and memoirs of participating engineers and scientists, as well as family and friends, Korolev affords a rare glimpse into the inner circles of a world often cloaked in secrecy and intrigue. Spanning the decades from the 1930s to the 1960s, this is a beautifully detailed blend of biography and recent history, chronicling the remarkable rise of one man from imprisonment in a Soviet gulag on trumped up charges to lead his nations space program. It is a compelling true tale of triumph in the face of a repressive regime, and of achievement against the odds of limited resources and inferior technology.

With more than forty years involvement with the U.S. space program, James Harford writes with authority and insight. His insiders knowledge of the sometimes precarious course of Americas own space programfueled by reaction to Soviet advancesadds both drama and authenticity. This is a highstakes world where success and failure are equally spectacular.

The driving force behind this compelling account is Sergei Korolevs own story, including his premature death in 1966. Korolevs vision and leadership galvanized a vast militaryindustrialuniversity complex comprised of gifted, dedicated engineers and scientists. They saw the future and changed history.