FIRING A ROCKET: STORIES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROCKET ENGINES FOR THE SATURN LAUNCH VEHICLES AND THE LUNAR MODULE AS VIEWED FROM THE TRENCHES

Today we stand on the threshold of human flights to Mars—yet another giant leap from that one small step onto the moon. But Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride would have never made history, and humankind would not have touched the stars, if not for the men and women on the ground who lit the fuse that launched the first rockets.

Enthralled as a boy by the exploits of Flash Gordon and the novels of Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke—who put the science in science fiction—James French became one of the original unsung engineers of America’s groundbreaking space program. His fascinating memoir offers an up-close-and-technical look at building, testing, and perfecting the pioneering Saturn rockets and original lunar landing module, and he shares true tales, both humorous and harrowing, of life—and near death—on the front lines of scientific exploration.

If you’ve ever said, “It’s not rocket science,” you’re right. It’s rocket engineering—and here’s your chance to marvel at how it changed the world and made it possible to explore all that lies beyond Earth.