Ebook: To a Distant Day: The Rocket Pioneers

From Publishers Weekly When mankind first made the leap into space in the late 1950s, one commentator compared it to life crawling out of the primordial goop onto land. In this wide-ranging study, technology historian Gainor (*Arrows to the Moon: Avro's Engineers and the Space Race*) takes readers from ancient Chinese experiments with gunpowder to Robert Goddard's epiphany in his cherry tree when he was 17 and the thrilling moment Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. Much of Gainor's book will be familiar to die-hard space buffs, but he has dug out shiny nuggets with which to dazzle readers, such as that the assassin of Czar Alexander II was a rocket buff and that the countdown was first used by director Fritz Lang in his film *Frau im Mond* (*Woman in the Moon*). Gainor overlooks some worthwhile research, such as recent revelations that 13 women almost had a chance to join the early U.S. space program. On the whole, this is a detailed, deftly written history that should appeal to all would-be rocketeers, whether launching from fields on weekend afternoons or just dreaming of space in a comfortable chair. Photos. *(Apr.)* Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review “As much a story of cultural ambition and personal destiny as of scientific progress and technological history, *To a Distant Day* offers a thoroughly compelling account of humankind’s determined efforts—sometimes poignant, sometimes amazing, sometimes mad—to leave Earth behind.”—*Quest * (*Quest* 20080315) “Let us hope for as good a companion volume taking the story to the shuttle and space-station era and the emergence of space powers other than Russia and the U.S.”—Roland Green, *Booklist* (Roland Green *Booklist* 20090801) "As someone who has been teaching a course on space exploration for many years and has visited most of NASA''s space centers, I have found plenty of new and valuable material in *To a Distant Day*. . . . I recommend the book to all who wish to know more about the conditions, people, and discoveries between 1890 and 1960 that led to the space age."—Pangratios Papacosta, *Physics Today* (Pangratios Papacosta *Physics Today* ) "*To a Distant Day *is not simply about scientific and technical developments. It provides insight into the social and political context of the early rocket pioneers and how progress emerged amidst competing egos, political pressures, and technical challenges. . . . Insightful, instructive, and definitely worth the read."—Greg Andres, *Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada* (Greg Andres *Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada* ) "Since the dawn of time, mankind has looked skyward and longed to travel the heavens, to feel the glow of distant stars, to explore the celestial bodies of our galactic neighborhood, and to venture beyond this earthly cradle. Chris Gainor''s work, *To a Distant Day*, tells of the engineers, the scientists, and the explorers who realized the ancient dream and ventured from Earth."—David R. Self, *Technology and Culture* (David R. Self *Technology and Culture* ) "Chris Gainor''s new book, *To a Distant Day*, recreates the colorful history of how rocketry came to be."—David Reneke, davidreneke.com (David Reneke *davidreneke.com* )