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Exploring Space
Book by Worvill, Roy, Robinson, Bernard Herbert
52 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 7, 2017
For a while (and I suspect I have not really grown that far out of it now) I could not get enough of books about space exploration and space flight. I guess I was riding the on the end of the great space race.
The book itself being printed in the 70s meant that a lot of what I saw and experienced (I remember the first space shuttle launch, we had a huge TV set up in the village hall so we could all watch it) was still to be written, who could have imaged such thing - although I realise now that many people did (see my comments on "Visions of space").
I guess back then without the presence of the internet I had to rely on books like this to explain and illuminate what otherwise were vague and general ideas on space flight. Years later I was able to look at some of the technical manuals and it is amazing the wealth of information that is out there but which seems to have slipped from general curiosity.
However it was books like this that inspired me to look beyond what I could see with my own two eyes or could directly interact with (after all living in the heart of England it felt so distant from the events that both America and Russia were involved with) and start to explore the world. Books like this however old and dated I think still have a place (most certainly on mine) on the book case.
The book itself being printed in the 70s meant that a lot of what I saw and experienced (I remember the first space shuttle launch, we had a huge TV set up in the village hall so we could all watch it) was still to be written, who could have imaged such thing - although I realise now that many people did (see my comments on "Visions of space").
I guess back then without the presence of the internet I had to rely on books like this to explain and illuminate what otherwise were vague and general ideas on space flight. Years later I was able to look at some of the technical manuals and it is amazing the wealth of information that is out there but which seems to have slipped from general curiosity.
However it was books like this that inspired me to look beyond what I could see with my own two eyes or could directly interact with (after all living in the heart of England it felt so distant from the events that both America and Russia were involved with) and start to explore the world. Books like this however old and dated I think still have a place (most certainly on mine) on the book case.
June 5, 2022
Exploring space was first published in 1964 at the affordable cost of 2/6. It was part of the achievements series 601.
From inside the dust jacket. . ."This book tells the story of mans achievements in space and of the tremendous progress being made towards learning more of the universe in which we live and towards the day when man can travel to the moon and beyond!"
Again another science-y Ladybird book that has stuck in my mind and especially due to the brilliant sci fi magazine style illustrations by B Knight. What is great 'now' about this book is that the speculation here in 1964 regarding space exploration is today a reality. It takes the young reader through the development of the rocket from fireworks to weaponry to space travel of the day. Also mentioned here is the V2 rockets that battered London and their inventor Wernher Von Braun who was taken to America after the war and became head of The Marshall space center where he developed the Saturn V booster that years after this book was printed got man to the moon. We are also told that satellites are for weather watching and relaying radio waves and even tv. If only they knew what they do with them now. There's even talk of moon bases, space stations and even orbiting telescopes and life on mars, total speculation at the time!
John Glenn is mentioned by name for his orbit of the earth but not Yuri Gagarin possibly due to the then cold war although the Russians were ahead of the Americans in the space race at the time so it seemed.
Obviously man landed on the moon (or did he?) in 1969 so Ladybird revised this book to include the moon landing and the exploration of the moon surface.
If you're into old sci fi stuff from the 50's and 60's (I've just finished listening to all the old Dimension X radio sci fi shows) then you will love this!
Classic.
From inside the dust jacket. . ."This book tells the story of mans achievements in space and of the tremendous progress being made towards learning more of the universe in which we live and towards the day when man can travel to the moon and beyond!"
Again another science-y Ladybird book that has stuck in my mind and especially due to the brilliant sci fi magazine style illustrations by B Knight. What is great 'now' about this book is that the speculation here in 1964 regarding space exploration is today a reality. It takes the young reader through the development of the rocket from fireworks to weaponry to space travel of the day. Also mentioned here is the V2 rockets that battered London and their inventor Wernher Von Braun who was taken to America after the war and became head of The Marshall space center where he developed the Saturn V booster that years after this book was printed got man to the moon. We are also told that satellites are for weather watching and relaying radio waves and even tv. If only they knew what they do with them now. There's even talk of moon bases, space stations and even orbiting telescopes and life on mars, total speculation at the time!
John Glenn is mentioned by name for his orbit of the earth but not Yuri Gagarin possibly due to the then cold war although the Russians were ahead of the Americans in the space race at the time so it seemed.
Obviously man landed on the moon (or did he?) in 1969 so Ladybird revised this book to include the moon landing and the exploration of the moon surface.
If you're into old sci fi stuff from the 50's and 60's (I've just finished listening to all the old Dimension X radio sci fi shows) then you will love this!
Classic.
December 27, 2019
Fascinating book, written pre-1969 and the moon landings. Especially interesting is the political undertones with the space race and ideas of what might happen if man landed on the moon.
October 19, 2025
A great introduction to the history of space travel.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews