Spaceflight and rocketry : a chronology /

Baker is a prolific author of books and articles on various aspects of aeronautics and astronautics. In this book each page includes about ten entries, each with approximately 120 words of text; there are more than 180 photos. Baker includes 472 pages of main entries beginning with Greek experiments (involving a steam-activated bird model) in 300 BCE. Coverage moves quickly through fire arrows and Confederate experiments with rocketry during the Civil War, up to the end of WWII, in fewer than 35 pages. In the remaining pages, to its credit, the book provides thorough coverage of nonmilitary rocketry such as telecommunications, environmental imaging, and deep space probes, as well as military weapons. Civil and military entries both include vital statistics as necessary. US and USSR/Russian space programs receive considerable analysis. Baker pays valuable attention to the less well known space efforts of Brazil, Indonesia, and other nations, as well as noting the rise of important international organizations. Glossary; thorough index. Recommended. All levels. R. E. Bilstein United States Air University

YA-This comprehensive time line chronicles the exploration of the "final frontier" from 360 B.C., with the earliest attempts at flight, to the NASA and the Russian space-agency negotiations in December 1993. Students may be intimidated by the chronological arrangement but will be aided in their research by a name and a subject index. A valuable reference tool for science students and an interesting browsing resource. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.