Rockets, Missiles, and Space Travel.

Early printing of this widely popular sourcebook on rockets and space travel. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated . Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "To: Steve my best wishes! Willy Ley" and signed, "Wernher von Braun." Wernher von Braun is widely regarded as the greatest rocket engineer of the 20th century in his role with the United States civilian space agency NASA. In his 20s and early 30s, von Braun was the central figure in Germany's rocket development program, responsible for the design and realization of the deadly V-2 combat rocket during World War II. After the war, he and some of his rocket team were taken to the U.S. as part of the then-secret Operation Paperclip. Von Braun worked on the US Army intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) program before his group was assimilated by NASA, under which he served as director of the newly-formed Marshall Space Flight Center and as the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, the superbooster that propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon. According to one NASA source, he is "without doubt, the greatest rocket scientist in history. His crowning achievement was to lead the development of the Saturn V booster rocket that helped land the first men on the Moon in July 1969." In 1975 he received the National Medal of Science. Near fine in the rare original dust jacket which is in very good condition. Jacket illustration by Willy Ley and Wernher von Braun from a painting by Chesley Bonestell.