Ignition!
An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants
$73.44
- Paperback
302 pages
- Release Date
22 May 2018
Summary
This newly reissued debut book in the Rutgers University Press Classics imprint is the story of the search for a rocket propellant which could be trusted to take man into space. This search was a hazardous enterprise carried out by rival labs who worked against the known laws of nature, with no guarantee of success or safety. Acclaimed scientist and sci-fi author John D. Clark writes with irreverent and eyewitness immediacy about the development of the explosive fuels strong enough to negate the relentless restraints of gravity. The resulting volume is as much a memoir as a work of history, sharing a behind-the-scenes view of an enterprise which eventually took men to the moon, missiles to the planets, and satellites to outer space. A classic work in the history of science, and described as “a good book on rocket stuff…that’s a really fun one” by Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, readers will want to get their hands on this influential classic, available for the first time in decades.
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780813595832 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0813595835 |
| Author: | John Drury Clark |
| Publisher: | Rutgers University Press |
| Imprint: | Rutgers University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 302 |
| Release Date: | 22 May 2018 |
| Weight: | 231g |
| Dimensions: | 20mm x 132mm x 203mm |
| Audience Age: | 15-99 |
You Can Find This Book In
Critics Review
“It’s rare that a book about as high-minded and serious a topic as rocket science manages to be both highly informative and laugh-out-loud funny. But if there’s a better way to describe John Clark’s Ignition!, I’ve yet to discover it.”
- Ars Technica
John Drury Clark
John Drury Clark (1907 - 1988) was an American rocket fuel developer, chemist, and science fiction writer. In addition to his work as a scientist, he was instrumental in the broad revival of interest in Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories and an influence on the writing of Isaac Asimov, L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt, and other sci-fi authors.
Issac Asimov (1920 - 1992) was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. A prolific writer, he published more than 500 books, most notably the science fiction novels I, Robot and Foundation, and the popular science works, Guide to Science and Understanding Physics.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.