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Rating: 
Summary: Good history, poor editing
Review: The author provides an interesting insider's view of von Braun's rocket team. However, the book suffers from poor editing: names of cities in Germany and Belgium are quite simply incorrect. It also seems to me that the measurements of the missiles mentioned in the book cannot possibly be correct; they are given as metric, but are no doubt recalculations of English engineering units. The results are ludicrous. Range of the A4 is given as a convenient conversion of miles; engine diameter is a conversion of 1 foot, etc. If you are interested in a good read you will find lots of hard to find historical anecdotes in this book, but for me the story is spoiled and seriously flawed due to the aforementioned inconsistencies. Unfortunately this is not atypical for these kinds of histories. Some serious editing required!
Rating: 
Summary: great historical account of the development of the V-2
Review: This book is a retrospective account of the development of the V-2 rocket in Germany during the second world war at Peenemunde by Werner Von Braun and his rocket team. Frederick Ordway draws upon interviews with the engineers and scientists involved, many of whom came to the US under "Project Paperclip" after they were captured by American troops during the end of the war in Europe. The book's attention to detail is excellent, although at times the detailed specifications of the various technologies is why I only give it 4 stars instead of 5.I first heard about this book in the early days of the net (before the Web when you could read all messages posted to usenet in an afternoon!). It was recommended in the sci.space FAQ as the best treatment of the early days of rocketry that culminated in the V-2 for Germany and became the seed crystal for NASA in the US. Recommended for all space buffs.
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