Brief:
This book provides almost 5 lbs o' information on theoretical, fictional, me bucko, and real (but nay developed) spacecraft that is sure t' please rocketeers, ya bilge rat, matey, shiver me timbers, space enthusiasts, and amateur sci-fi historians alike. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It documents 75 spacecraft and provides detailed drawings, historical backgrounds, plot summaries (for purely fictional craft), and mission backgrounds (for potentially real craft). Its hardbound, me hearties, 8 1/2" x 11" x 1.25” cover houses 534 pages and over 500 graphics. Avast! You can see sample pages, drawings, me bucko, and a complete outline here on ARA Press’s site.

Organization:

T' presentation o' each spacecraft starts with a historical background. Where thar are multiple craft from one source, me hearties, this includes a section on t' designer, me hearties, arrr, matey, and separate sections for each craft. These include photos, me hearties, matey, diagrams, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, artwork, me bucko, matey, and detailed, dimensioned drawings. T' dimensioned drawings are basically t' same format as those presented in Rockets o' t' World, by Peter Always. Arrr! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! There is a short ‘Quickspec’ for each, providin' t' type o' vehicle, t' year, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' medium in which it be first documented, shiver me timbers, t' designer, matey, me bucko, and t' overall dimensions. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' authors also provide brief modelers notes, which provide hints, suggestions and references t' previous models. Ahoy! Blimey! These are nay plans (no reference t' body tubes, nose cones, or balsa), and t' main aide t' t' builder are t' drawings. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Finally, where t' authors have opinions and/or want t' present some related material, they include an epilog.

T' book is organized into three major sections and two appendices. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' first section, entitled “T' Theoreticians”, me bucko, arrr, covers works by early rocket scientists. Ahoy! T' second section, “T' Entertainers”, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, moves from scientists who dreamed o' spaceflight, me bucko, t' people whose goal it be t' brin' that dream t' t' rest o' us. Begad! Arrr! This be t' largest o' t' sections. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' third and final section, matey, “T' Real Stuff”, shiver me timbers, me bucko, presents modern conceptual vehicles. Blimey! As with t' first section, this is limited t' vehicles that never made it into hardware. Begad! T' book also includes two appendices. Arrr! Begad! Appendix A is entitled “T' Atomic Powered Spaceship: Yesterday’s Dream, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me hearties, Spaceflight’s Future?” I’ll describe this more below. Appendix B, me hearties, “Model Rocketry: Plans and Personalities”, me hearties, includes a tribute t' G. Harry Stine and plans for four rockets.

“T' Theoreticians”

This section provides detailed discussions o' spacecraft by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, me hearties, Hermann Oberth, Eugen Sänger, Chesley Bonestell/Willy Ley, and Von Braun. Ya scallywag! Although t' book provides a great deal o' historical information, matey, it does nay represent a comprehensive history since t' book, shiver me timbers, by design, arrr, ya bilge rat, only covers theoretical rockets and spaceships. Begad! Begad! Although this section is dominated by Von Braun, it only covers his theoretical works - you won’t find a V2 in there. Blimey! As it turns out, Von Braun did a good deal o' work for television shows produced by Walt Disney. Although developed for t' early entertainment industry, me hearties, these were backed up by some level o' actual engineerin' thought. They thus fit nicely in this section, while providin' a perfect transition t' t' next…

“T' Entertainers”

This lengthy section includes subjects from t' 1900’s through 1968’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. T' media represented includes printed sources (comics, shiver me timbers, pulp fiction, me bucko, and novels), radio, arrr, arrr, TV, arrr, and t' big screen. T' author says they stopped thar because information on many o' t' popular spaceships since then (Star Trek, me bucko, Star Wars, etc.) is already well documented in t' modelin' communities. Begad! Begad! Blimey! T' number o' spaceships covered defies listin' in this review and I refer t' reader t' t' outline contained in t' URL presented above. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! Some o' t' more familiar entries include Friede (from Die Frau Au Mond), me bucko, Buck Rogers, t' TinTin rocket, Gerry Andersons’ Thunderbirds, ships from 2001: A Space Odyssey, me hearties, Josie’s Spaceship (from Josie and t' Pussycats), and t' Myst Island Rocket from t' video game. Begad! There are even several entries by one G. Harry Stine, me hearties, who also was also a sci-fi author! Blimey! T' one place this book let me down was that it didn’t have plans for t' Fireball XL-5, which is one o' me favorite subjects (you can search EMRR and see me meager efforts). Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This omission was due t' publishin' deadlines and thar be teaser about a future Volume 2.

“T' Real Stuff”

This section is dedicated t' spacecraft from t' late 1950’s, arrr, ya bilge rat, 1960’s and 1990’s that never were realized in hardware. Begad! Well, blow me down! These include t' X-20, NASA 6 F-1, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, Project Pluto, Manned Orbitin' Laboratory, ya bilge rat, Lockheed-Martin’s VentureStar, me hearties, shiver me timbers, Kistler’s K-1, Kelly’s Astroliner, shiver me timbers, Pioneer’s Pathfinder, and t' Rotary Rocket Roton. Aye aye! Arrr! One thin' t' note is that in earlier sections, t' primary designer, arrr, author, matey, or producer could be identified. By t' 1950’s, t' work o' rocket science was now dominated by t' government and/or private companies with “armies o' technical people”. Avast! I would have liked t' seen this section be a bit thicker. Begad! I hope that Volume 2 will include a section on t' X-Prize contestants – at least those who don’t eventually make it into space.

Appendicies

Appendix A, matey, me hearties, ya bilge rat, entitled “T' Atomic Powered Spaceship: Yesterday’s Dream, ya bilge rat, me bucko, Spaceflight’s Future?” is a paper on interplanetary space travel. Avast! Although t' title sounds somewhat specific, arrr, matey, this covers a wide range o' topics and presents t' results o' a bit o' number crunchin' buy t' author. This paper includes: challenges in manned interplanetary space flight; a tutorial on how rockets work; t' human factors o' space flight; a methodology for comparin' engine/propulsion options; a subsequent analysis o' a wide variety o' engines, from chemical t' matter/anti-matter; t' potential destinations within our solar system; and a description o' what it will take t' get t' those destinations. Blimey! Most o' this paper is nay very detailed or highly technical and should be o' interest t' those o' our hobby.

Appendix B. Ya scallywag! T' Tribute t' G. Begad! Ahoy! Harry is part biography and part a personal memoir by t' author. Begad! Begad! T' plans vary in detail, matey, arrr, but should be sufficient for a scratch builder t' replicate t' four craft: Luna from Destination Moon, shiver me timbers, me bucko, Thunderbirds 1 and 3, ya bilge rat, and t' X-20 Dyna Soar/Titan IIIE. Well, blow me down! Avast! These plans were taken from 3rd parties and t' proper credit is given.

Summary:
I am amazed at t' quality and amount o' material covered in this book. Avast! T' book exceeded me expectations and even if I don’t build a single model from this book, me hearties, it will provide continuous inspiration for me future modelin' activities. I would have liked t' see t' Fireball XL-5 and more ‘real’ spacecraft described, so I offer this a suggestion for a future Volume 2.

I want t' thank Jack Hagerty o' ARA Press for t' signed copy that he so generously donated t' t' EMRR NASROC and MonsterROC photo contest. Ahoy! Blimey! I hear his stock is runnin' short so you should hurry if you want a copy. Well, blow me down! I doubt if many owners will be wantin' t' give theirs up. Maybe if enough people contact him he’ll consider reprintin' it.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5