To Reach the High Frontier

"Until now, no single book has addresses the parallel and intersecting histories of American launch vehicles.... Includes a chapter on every American launch vehicle used to access space since 1957: Atlas, Delta, Titan, Minuteman, Saturn V, Centaur, and the shuttle." -- Technology and Culture "This valuable contribution to the field of aero-space literature is a comprehensive discussion of the political and social influences on the development of launch vehicles." -- McCormick (SC) Messenger "The people, contractors, and government organizations that improved launch systems, and the means they developed to put payloads into orbit.... Highly recommended." -- Choice "The breadth and depth of the essays provide a very detailed view of U.S. launch vehicle programs and how they got to where they are today.... A must-have addition to any space flight professional's or enthusiast's library." -- Astropolitics "If this book can contribute to make access the top priority again then its specialist case studies will have formed a bridge from the past to a new future in space." -- Spaceflight "Details the history of U.S. rockets and propellants from World War II to modern space flight when there were amazing advances in fuels, engines, targeting, materials, and rocket bodies." -- Military Review "Brings together the leading names in space and aeronautics to study major launch vehicles of the twentieth century." -- Science Book Board "Brings together analysis of numerous important issues in the history of space access." -- Journal of Military History "An excellent book for those wanting to understand the development and importance of U.S. launch vehicles." -- Air Power History "A valuable contribution to the field of aerospace literature. A comprehensive discussion of the political and social influences on the development of launch vehicles." -- Michael L. Ciancone "A must-read for anyone interested in space history." -- Liftoff

Roger D. Launius, chief historian of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C., has written or edited more than twenty books, most recently Imagining Space: Achievements, Predictions, Possibilities, 1950-2050. Dennis R. Jenkins, a consulting engineer in Cape Canaveral, Florida, has written over thirty works on aerospace history, including Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System - The First 100 Flights.