Spaceflight: A Historical Encyclopedia [3 volumes]

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Description

This book is a comprehensive history of the first six decades of space exploration, from the end of World War II to the modern era of routine international cooperation in space. From Sputnik to Soyuz, Mercury 7 to the International Space Station, Spaceflight: A Historical Encyclopedia spans the entire half-century of space travel like no other reference ever published. The 700 articles in Spaceflight cover every human space mission, as well all significant robotic lunar and planetary space exploration programs, from the 1950s through to the 2008 Space Shuttle and Soyuz flights. While most of the encyclopedia focuses on the United States and former Soviet Union, Spaceflight goes beyond other works of this type to explore the space-related initiatives of countries around the world, including long-time space powers such as France, the other member nations of the European Space Agency, and the emerging space programs of China and India. Many of the entries are biographical, including portraits of NASA's first five groups of astronauts, space shuttle astronauts, Russian cosmonauts, and other non-U.S., non-Russian astronauts who have spent significant time in space.

Reviews

Evidently bound by love to the study, Walsh has assembled this three-volume reference, which includes entries on every space mission, both human and robotic, and is distinguished, also, by a substantial number of biographical entries covering astronauts, Russian cosmonauts, and other non-US, and non-Russian cosmonauts. Arranged alphabetically, the 699 entries are enhanced with small B&W photos; a chronology, a bibliography, and a comprehensive index appear in the third volume. Clear, accessible writing and comprehensive coverage make this a useful and engaging reference that will serve a wide audience of students and the general public as well as industry workers interested in the context and history of their endeavors. * SciTech Book News *
magnificentThere is no shortage of reference material relating to space travel and exploration, but the vast majority of this literature falls far short of Spaceflight.A highly recommended purchase for this country's public and academic libraries. * Library Journal *
The strength of Spaceflight: A Historical Encyclopedia is in the lengthy biographies of hundreds of key people relevant to the space program and the thorough coverage of all human spaceflight missions. In addition, it is more current than other reference sources on the topic. Recommended for high-school, undergraduate, and public libraries. * Booklist *
Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readers. * Choice *
This set is recommended for middle and high school libraries, public libraries, and academic libraries supporting undergraduate nonspecialists. * Reference & User Services Quarterly *

Author Bio

Patrick J. Walsh is a journalist and author from Peekskill, NY.