Wernher Von Braun, Revised Edition

Makers of Modern Science

by Ray Spangenburg, Diane Kit Moser

Controversy surrounds von Braun's work in Germany during World War II. This edition examines some of the complex issues brought to light by the availability of formerly top-secret documents. It explores the significance of his statements to the US Army concerning his wartime career as a V-2 rocket builder.

164 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Miguel Masliah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The wagon was wholly out of control land trailing a comet’s trail of fire, but my rockets were performing beyond my wildest dreams.” Recalled Wernher Von Braun about a day in 1920’s Berlin, when he stuck two fireworks on a wagon and sent it down a Berlin Street. Like many children in his time, ever since he read the novels and stories of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne he became fascinated with rockets and the possibility of space travel. If Von Braun saw a goal he wanted to reach, he would do anything to get to it, even though he was criticized for it later in life, like when he joined Hitler’s Schutzstaffel, or SS when he saw that was the only way for his dream to survive. When the German army heard of the military potential of rockets, they started a discreet project and hired scientists and engineers to build a rocket capable of carrying an explosive payload to another country, and the success of this project began the space age. After the war, he moved to America to work on their missions and helped with projects like the Apollo program, and to this day, he is known as one of the founding fathers of rocket science.

I rated this book 4 stars because it is about a topic I am interested in and has lots of facts, but didn’t exactly have many entertaining parts. Rocket science is an extremely complicated topic, but this book explained some elements of it in a simpler and easier to understand way. Although the topic is interesting, having only facts in a book with no entertaining parts can really discourage a reader and make them want to stop reading. Although it was a slow book, I recommend this book to people interested in rocketry, but can handle more boring books.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sort of a Young Adult book. As such it was short and a lot was was left out or glossed over.

But it was interesting and the authors were pretty fearless in tackling some tough issues like 'what did Von Braun know about slave labor building rocket parts in Germany and did he do enough (or anything) to fight that?' All in all it was worth a quick read (especially after you take a quick trip to Huntsville AL and get the chance to stand next to that incredible piece of engineering; the Saturn V rocket.)

[Jetro-isb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. This can be either because I like science, and the development of scientific inventions, or maybe because I feel strongly related to Wernher Von Braun because of Operation Starship back in 8th grade. The story breaks up different stages in Von Braun's life into different chapters, which makes it easy to follow. What I really liked about this biography is how we follow the development of his dreams, ideas, and success, from when he was no more than a teenage like us until the moment he dies. We also get to see the different trials and errors this great scientist and his crew have been through before finally sending Neils Armstrong to the moon. Even though I am just a reader, I felt like I shared his triumphant, and wanted to congratulate him, even though I can't. This book also has many connections to certain aspects of world war II and the cold war, which makes it interesting because it gives me the opportunity to recall what I learned in Modern World History as well.

[Lyg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concise, easily read overview of an interesting man.