Gagarin and Armstrong

In April 1961, when Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel through space, exploration of the 'final frontier' became a realistic goal; eight years later Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. This fascinating, wide-ranging yet succinct narrative explores all the various scientific, technological and political developments which culminated in that giant leap for mankind. It explains the importance of World War Two as the catalyst - from von Braun's V2 rocket, through the rise of the two superpowers, the ensuing Cold War and subsequent Space Race - so that in less than 30 years the world leapt forward from piston-engined aircraft to rocket-powered space vehicles. Fundamental principles of space travel and the main problems which had to be solved are clearly explained and illustrated. We are also reminded that whilst the bravery of those pioneering astronauts is unquestioned, their success was due to the many thousands of unsung scientists, engineers and technicians. In the final chapters the author documents all the subsequent major achievements up to the present and concludes that 'living and working in space for up to a year at a time is now a reality.'