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Korolev: How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive to Beat America to the Moon
How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive Beat America to the Moon.
"Fascinating . . . packed with technical and historical detail for the space expert and enthusiast alike . . . Great stuff!"-New Scientist
"In this exceptional book, James Harford pieces together a most compelling and well-written tale. . . . Must reading."-Space News.
"Through masterful research and an engaging narrative style, James Harford gives the world its first in-depth look at the man who should rightly be called the father of the Soviet space program."-Norman R. Augustine, CEO, Lockheed Martin.
"In Korolev, James Harford has written a masterly biography of this enigmatic 'Chief Designer' whose role the Soviets kept secret for fear that Western agents might 'get at' him."-Daily Telegraph.
"Harford's 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.
"Reveals the complex, driven personality of a man who, despite unjust imprisonment in the Gulag, toiled tirelessly for the Soviet military industrial complex. . . . More than just a biography, this is also a history of the Soviet space program at the height of the Cold War. . . . Highly recommended."-Library Journal.
"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 Union's 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.
"Fascinating . . . packed with technical and historical detail for the space expert and enthusiast alike . . . Great stuff!"-New Scientist
"In this exceptional book, James Harford pieces together a most compelling and well-written tale. . . . Must reading."-Space News.
"Through masterful research and an engaging narrative style, James Harford gives the world its first in-depth look at the man who should rightly be called the father of the Soviet space program."-Norman R. Augustine, CEO, Lockheed Martin.
"In Korolev, James Harford has written a masterly biography of this enigmatic 'Chief Designer' whose role the Soviets kept secret for fear that Western agents might 'get at' him."-Daily Telegraph.
"Harford's 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.
"Reveals the complex, driven personality of a man who, despite unjust imprisonment in the Gulag, toiled tirelessly for the Soviet military industrial complex. . . . More than just a biography, this is also a history of the Soviet space program at the height of the Cold War. . . . Highly recommended."-Library Journal.
"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 Union's 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.
432 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 26, 2021
I was flip-flopping between 3 and 4 stars, we'll call it 3.5 stars and round down today.
This was the first book I've read on the Soviet/Russian space program and wow, I need to go deeper. Everything is much more insane than the American program. Like the fact the subject of this book, Sergei Korolev, was exiled to Siberia for 10 years of hard labour by Stalin, and returned from that experience perfectly capable of being the largest driving force behind the USSR's space race in the late 1950s and through the 1960s.
This book is full of fascinating trivia about the USSR's space program, like design decisions around the Soyuz spacecraft in the 1960s, which is still in service today (evolved and upgraded, of course). Or the gargantuan N1 spacecraft designed to compete with Apollo to send cosmonauts to the moon - with 30 engines on the first stage this proved "too difficult" to control, in addition to the fact the Soviets skimped out on proper testing. Contrast this with Elon's Starship today: the first booster stage will have ~33 Raptor engines.
The book suffered in a few places. Could it be because it was Harford's first book? Maybe hypocritical for a non-author to criticize, but something about this book made it hard to really engage with. Could it be that Harford is an American and just can't understand (or communicate) what it was really like working on the Soviet space program? Who am I to judge.
Most of the in-text quotes were long; I'd expect seasoned biographers to weave interviews into the book's narrative instead of quoting from interviewees at length. It was hard to follow the "cast of characters" around Korolev - I couldn't connect with any personalities. And Korolev, who died in 1966 after "what was expected to be routine surgery for the removal of polyps from his rectum" (ugh, what a way to go) felt distant and flat to me. Another reviewer put it very well: "Attempts to straddle the line between character study and history book. Definitely falls more into the latter category" (link). I'd agree with this as the last 3 chapters of the book (after Korolev's death) were what I found most interesting.
This was the first book I've read on the Soviet/Russian space program and wow, I need to go deeper. Everything is much more insane than the American program. Like the fact the subject of this book, Sergei Korolev, was exiled to Siberia for 10 years of hard labour by Stalin, and returned from that experience perfectly capable of being the largest driving force behind the USSR's space race in the late 1950s and through the 1960s.
This book is full of fascinating trivia about the USSR's space program, like design decisions around the Soyuz spacecraft in the 1960s, which is still in service today (evolved and upgraded, of course). Or the gargantuan N1 spacecraft designed to compete with Apollo to send cosmonauts to the moon - with 30 engines on the first stage this proved "too difficult" to control, in addition to the fact the Soviets skimped out on proper testing. Contrast this with Elon's Starship today: the first booster stage will have ~33 Raptor engines.
The book suffered in a few places. Could it be because it was Harford's first book? Maybe hypocritical for a non-author to criticize, but something about this book made it hard to really engage with. Could it be that Harford is an American and just can't understand (or communicate) what it was really like working on the Soviet space program? Who am I to judge.
Most of the in-text quotes were long; I'd expect seasoned biographers to weave interviews into the book's narrative instead of quoting from interviewees at length. It was hard to follow the "cast of characters" around Korolev - I couldn't connect with any personalities. And Korolev, who died in 1966 after "what was expected to be routine surgery for the removal of polyps from his rectum" (ugh, what a way to go) felt distant and flat to me. Another reviewer put it very well: "Attempts to straddle the line between character study and history book. Definitely falls more into the latter category" (link). I'd agree with this as the last 3 chapters of the book (after Korolev's death) were what I found most interesting.
August 9, 2012
If you don't know who Sergei Pavlovich Korlev was, you should. He was the mastermind behind the Soviet space effort, the man responsible for Sputnik. His efforts kept the Soviets ahead in the space race until his death in 1966. This would be remarkable enough on its own, but his story becomes still more remarkable when you realize that he survived being denounced and consigned to the Stalinist gulag, only to be rehabilitated and ultimately become integral to rocket and missile design efforts under Stalin and to subsequently head the space program. And he did all this in the utmost secrecy- his contributions to history were not publicly acknowledged until after his death.
This book was an excellent look at Korolev, relying heavily on Soviet sources (not widely available at the time the book was written in the early 1990s), including both official accounts as well as interviews with those who knew him. If it suffers from a flaw, it is that the author is perhaps too eager to quote these sources in full and at length. Also, at times it is tricky to remember if one is reading an account of the Soviet space program, or a biography of the man running it- it is almost as if the author got caught up with the former only to realize shortly before Korolev's death that he must return to the latter, as the man's time was cut short.
This book was an excellent look at Korolev, relying heavily on Soviet sources (not widely available at the time the book was written in the early 1990s), including both official accounts as well as interviews with those who knew him. If it suffers from a flaw, it is that the author is perhaps too eager to quote these sources in full and at length. Also, at times it is tricky to remember if one is reading an account of the Soviet space program, or a biography of the man running it- it is almost as if the author got caught up with the former only to realize shortly before Korolev's death that he must return to the latter, as the man's time was cut short.
June 1, 2022
Brisk, enjoyable biography about the life of Sergei Korolev, and his instrumental role in the development of the Soviet space and missile programs. Due to the secretive behavior of the Soviet government around its most prestigious projects, Korolev was primarily known by his title Chief Designer - even to some of his own subordinates; his name was greater publicized after his premature death from cancer in 1966.
Korolev himself emerges as a detail-oriented and driven manager who was thoughtful about complex issues but also in managing public perceptions. When an argument ensured about a mock-up about the Sputnik satellite, Korolev made the point that what they were doing would be shown in museums.
Additionally, the biography provides some background about the dramatic swings in the Soviet system. In the 1930s, Korolev was imprisoned from 1938 to 1945; he lost teeth from scurvy and became much more withdrawn. He was placed in a special work camp for scientists and engineers where, alongside his old mentor who was also arrested, he was put to work designing aircraft for the war effort.
Later chapters discuss the development of the Soviet missile program - made possible through the capture of several German V-2 rockets and German scientists relocated to the Soviet Union - before moving to the space program itself. Hartford describes a program that, on the one hand, was capable of astounding successes given its material shortages compared to the United States; and on the other hand, one that fell further behind due to a lack of modern computers and microelectronics, and persistent bureaucratic meddling. One astounding example was where the choice came to fund two separate rocket systems. With the limited funding available, it was instead split among both systems, which produced delays in both.
I am a layman to this and cannot evaluate at all any technical detail provided, and I cannot evaluate how this fits in with later scholarship on Soviet history. But I can appreciate Hartford's own use of primary sources, memoirs, and some sixty-odd interviews with staff members and other researchers. An outstanding read about an intriguing man and the titanic institutions he directed.
Korolev himself emerges as a detail-oriented and driven manager who was thoughtful about complex issues but also in managing public perceptions. When an argument ensured about a mock-up about the Sputnik satellite, Korolev made the point that what they were doing would be shown in museums.
Additionally, the biography provides some background about the dramatic swings in the Soviet system. In the 1930s, Korolev was imprisoned from 1938 to 1945; he lost teeth from scurvy and became much more withdrawn. He was placed in a special work camp for scientists and engineers where, alongside his old mentor who was also arrested, he was put to work designing aircraft for the war effort.
Later chapters discuss the development of the Soviet missile program - made possible through the capture of several German V-2 rockets and German scientists relocated to the Soviet Union - before moving to the space program itself. Hartford describes a program that, on the one hand, was capable of astounding successes given its material shortages compared to the United States; and on the other hand, one that fell further behind due to a lack of modern computers and microelectronics, and persistent bureaucratic meddling. One astounding example was where the choice came to fund two separate rocket systems. With the limited funding available, it was instead split among both systems, which produced delays in both.
I am a layman to this and cannot evaluate at all any technical detail provided, and I cannot evaluate how this fits in with later scholarship on Soviet history. But I can appreciate Hartford's own use of primary sources, memoirs, and some sixty-odd interviews with staff members and other researchers. An outstanding read about an intriguing man and the titanic institutions he directed.
February 19, 2014
If you are not familiar with the space race between the U.S. and Soviet Union from 1946-1969, this book would bore you. If you have a degree of familiarity with the subject, this tome will fascinate you. Harford does a fabulous job in his depiction of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the "Chief Designer" of the Soviet space program. He was able to interview several of the engineers and designers who worked under Korolev (who died in 1969), shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. By utilizing these rare oral histories from the actual participants, mixed with his review of archival documentation and his knowledge in rocketry, he weaves together a fact-based account of the life of one of the most important people in the history of the space race.
If there is a detriment to the book it would be that his technical expertise comes in during discussions of rockets and rocket engines. Without prior knowledge of the intricacies of rocket dynamics, the information becomes meaningless to the reader.
Having an extensive interest and curiosity into the space race, and with having read numerous volumes on the topic prior to picking this book up, I rate it five-stars.
If there is a detriment to the book it would be that his technical expertise comes in during discussions of rockets and rocket engines. Without prior knowledge of the intricacies of rocket dynamics, the information becomes meaningless to the reader.
Having an extensive interest and curiosity into the space race, and with having read numerous volumes on the topic prior to picking this book up, I rate it five-stars.
January 19, 2019
As someone who read up on the US space program as a kid, especially reading over and over the National Geographic issues at my great aunt's house. As an adult, I can go deeper into the US stories to learn the ups and downs, the characters that became national heros flying out into the black.
More recently is an interest in the Soviet space program at the same time. It can be hard to separate the men and the myths. Especially from the Soviet era. But there are authors who have pierced the veil to give the Soviet efforts their due.
Here is a biography of Korolev, the mastermind behind Soviet rocketry & space efforts. The author has taken great strides in getting at Soviet archives and interviewing people directly involved in the space program, including his daughter. Those interviews are just gold, as they help paint a portrait of a man on who's shoulders rode many mankind firsts. Be forewarned, though. This book can be dry in places. The writing more academic at times. You will probably get lost in all of the names. But at the end, I feel you'll know have a greater appreciation for what he had to overcome.
From the book, I have a greater appreciation of just how crazy their space program was at the time. With rudimentary computer hardware and heavy electronics, they were able to automate quite a bit. These days we'd run software on processors, but in those days there wasn't a Space OS. The Soviets were big on automating as much as possible and testing it that way before putting men in the loop. But at the same time, they cut corners in order to be first. My take is that the firsts were more one-offs in order to claim the achievement than the stair step method of incremental expansion of the envelope. Korolev tried to deal with this knowledge debt, but with a severely limited budget, overworked people and a NASA Apollo effort that tapped into country wide talent, he could never have one the race to the Moon. (The Soviet effort was super secret, so less sharing of data & hiding of failures from the public)
The outcome of the Soviet program was a family of launchers that still operate today. They are super reliable, though not as technically elegant as former NASA designs.
With this book done, I have two more on the Soviet programs, especially around the N-1/L-1.
More recently is an interest in the Soviet space program at the same time. It can be hard to separate the men and the myths. Especially from the Soviet era. But there are authors who have pierced the veil to give the Soviet efforts their due.
Here is a biography of Korolev, the mastermind behind Soviet rocketry & space efforts. The author has taken great strides in getting at Soviet archives and interviewing people directly involved in the space program, including his daughter. Those interviews are just gold, as they help paint a portrait of a man on who's shoulders rode many mankind firsts. Be forewarned, though. This book can be dry in places. The writing more academic at times. You will probably get lost in all of the names. But at the end, I feel you'll know have a greater appreciation for what he had to overcome.
From the book, I have a greater appreciation of just how crazy their space program was at the time. With rudimentary computer hardware and heavy electronics, they were able to automate quite a bit. These days we'd run software on processors, but in those days there wasn't a Space OS. The Soviets were big on automating as much as possible and testing it that way before putting men in the loop. But at the same time, they cut corners in order to be first. My take is that the firsts were more one-offs in order to claim the achievement than the stair step method of incremental expansion of the envelope. Korolev tried to deal with this knowledge debt, but with a severely limited budget, overworked people and a NASA Apollo effort that tapped into country wide talent, he could never have one the race to the Moon. (The Soviet effort was super secret, so less sharing of data & hiding of failures from the public)
The outcome of the Soviet program was a family of launchers that still operate today. They are super reliable, though not as technically elegant as former NASA designs.
With this book done, I have two more on the Soviet programs, especially around the N-1/L-1.
October 30, 2023
I purchased my copy of this book in trade paperback so long ago that I don't have any notes as to when or where I purchased it. I had marked it as "read" in my Goodreads book list, but I had most certainly NOT read it until the other day I pulled it off the shelf and gave it a spin. I don't know what has taken me so long to get around to reading it, especially since it turned out to be pretty interesting. For reasons of security and paranoia, the identity of the Soviet space program's "Chief Designer" was a state secret until near the end of the USSR. This book covers Korolev's entire life and career. While his life story is interesting enough, what I found most engaging was the author's deep dive into the development of many early Soviet space systems, and there is a good overview of the ill-fated N-1 moon rocket, even though most of its development and testing took place after Korolev's untimely death. If you are interested in the inception and development of the Soviet space program, Korolev's fingerprints are all over both, so this book would be a valuable addition to your reference shelf. The book is a little dated (published around 1994 as the former Soviet Union began to open up) but very good nonetheless. Four out of five stars.
September 11, 2019
This book was both boring yet extremely fascinating. The abundance of Soviet names, acronyms, rocket technology and the like made this book quite slow-going but taken as a whole the book is fantastic. I'm amazed at the level of research that went into this and have a whole difference perspective of the space race. The American side built up the race to be a neck and neck affair coming right down to Apollo 11 but this book peels the Soviet onion at the massive bureaucratic, technological, and financial limitations that really caused a chasm in the two programs much earlier than I was previously led to believe. The timing of the writing (1997) fell nicely in line with Soviet Glasnost and allowed the author to conduct plenty of firsthand interviews with Russians who worked in the Soviet space program in the 1950's and 1960's. The timing was also interesting talking about the dream of teaming up with the Americans (and others) on the grand project of the ISS. Spoiler - it happens! Maybe not the best book for the weekend space-dork but really cool for anyone interested in really seeing what was going on behind the iron curtain.
December 31, 2019
Could be, that it's the only comprehensive book on Korolev in English, haven't looked around. BUT the book is only partially about the man himself and his work (I would say about 1/2 or 2/3), more on the Space Race topic and how Soviet developments compared to US, including tables and charts. Those, who are able to read Russian might be more interested in reading one of his main referenced works by Y.Golovanov (can't guarantee, that it's better, but it's definitely thicker :) And next on my reading list)
The narrative is good, reasonable amount of technical details
The narrative is good, reasonable amount of technical details
February 17, 2018
Attempts to straddle the line between character study and history book. Definitely falls more into the latter category. Harford clearly has a great affinity for the subject but the material still comes off as very dry.
Want to read
November 29, 2022I have long been fascinated by the USSR's moon programme and why it failed to land a man on the moon. I never forgot seeing the Soviet moon lander at the Science Museum.
And then a friend recommended me this book....
More to come!
And then a friend recommended me this book....
More to come!
September 18, 2007
A good biography of Sergei Korolev, chief engineer responsible for OBK-1 design bureau during the early part of the Space Race. Korolev was a key ingredient in the enormously successful space shots of the USSR beginning with the R-7 launch system, Sputnik, follow-on satellites and payloads, Vostok (which took Gagarin up in April 1961), Voskhod, and Soyuz. He was also in charge of the ill-fated N-1 lunar launch vehicle system, but since he died in 1966 that program and the Soviet space efforts in general suffered greatly. An important book about a man who was kept secret frokm the world until the late 1990s.
September 24, 2023
What a terrible written book about a great subject.
Way too many unimportant details, like a lot of Russian names of a team of people that Korolev worked wit once and have nothing to do with him ever again. Instead he could have just called it a team he worked with.
That is just one of many, many, many needless, uninteresting details.
With that edited out the book would be enjoyable and a hundred and fifty pages shorter.
I barely finished it, by skipping quite a bit.
Read "Rockets and People" by Boris E. Chertok about Korolev en much more, 900 pages and not one of the you want to skip.
Way too many unimportant details, like a lot of Russian names of a team of people that Korolev worked wit once and have nothing to do with him ever again. Instead he could have just called it a team he worked with.
That is just one of many, many, many needless, uninteresting details.
With that edited out the book would be enjoyable and a hundred and fifty pages shorter.
I barely finished it, by skipping quite a bit.
Read "Rockets and People" by Boris E. Chertok about Korolev en much more, 900 pages and not one of the you want to skip.
June 17, 2013
A very rare and extremely well researched/written account on the history of Soviet space era. There is nobody in the US or any other places where one person is responsible for tasks stretching from management, design, fabrication, launch and control of all manned and unmanned programs in a space program. The book is like a fresh breeze, different from the abundant historical accounts of US space program.
February 5, 2017
Excellent biography of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. Thoroughly researched, through archives, and numerous interviews of Korolev's contemporaries. Highly detailed, yet still an engaging read for space geeks.
March 26, 2015
A fascinating look at the central figure in the Soviet space program, told by a space race insider. Having interviewed nearly everyone who was associated with the Soviet program and willing to discuss their role, this book stands apart from other Soviet space race narratives for its readability.
Read
August 31, 2017Very full of historical detail! The personalities, politics and events of the USSR space program are described from multiple perspectives to paint an accurate picture. It is clear how well researched this book is, quoting from many interviews the author performed himself. The personal stories and anecdotes of a relatively undocumented era are amazing.
With that said, this is not a great introduction to the space program. Although each topic presents a good story on its own, the big picture can sometimes be lost. There are not as many technical details as I expected (based on the cover's quote "...packed with technical and historical detail...".
The book does cover the whole USSR space program, even though (Spoiler!) Korolev dies in 1966. The last years of the moon program, in the aftermath of Korolev's death, are described in detail, while events after that are merely summarized. He talks about the very start of the international space station, but since the book was published in 1997, that's where he stops.
With that said, this is not a great introduction to the space program. Although each topic presents a good story on its own, the big picture can sometimes be lost. There are not as many technical details as I expected (based on the cover's quote "...packed with technical and historical detail...".
The book does cover the whole USSR space program, even though (Spoiler!) Korolev dies in 1966. The last years of the moon program, in the aftermath of Korolev's death, are described in detail, while events after that are merely summarized. He talks about the very start of the international space station, but since the book was published in 1997, that's where he stops.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews