Korolev P Book

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.