Unique in the literature of spaceflight, this book is an encyclopedic history of the spaceship from the earliest yearnings for space travel to plans for the distant future. Covering in unprecedented detail over 2,000 years of spaceship design, the text chronologically documents thousands of events, with illustrations and photos graphically demonstrating the centuries-long evolution of an idea that has changed our
world forever. Included are rare photos and illustrations from science fiction films, books, and magazines; unique drawings of Soviet spacecraft; NASA photos never before reproduced; and artwork specially commissioned for this book. The illustrations are reproduced in two colors throughout, with a sixteen-page full-color section, appendixes, bibliography, and index. Winner of the Booklist Editor's Choice 1994 Technology Award. |
| | "A prodigious amount of research must have gone into this book...the illustrations are fascinating, and the accompanying descriptions no less interesting. As a reference work The Dream Machines is unparalleled." -- New Zealand Spaceflight Association, Inc., Liftoff, 165
"… a work to be
grazed by the ardent space enthusiast for its commemoration of the many who have believed in the promise of the spaceship." -- Journal of Practical Applications in Space, Fall 1994
"The most comprehensive history of spacecraft design concepts published to date, this massive, superbly illustrated volume reviews the inspirations and scientific breakthroughs that set the course of humankind's exploration beyond the atmosphere." -- Choice, January 1995 |
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