Korolev: How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive to Beat America to the Moon

I think I have read this before and even visited the town in the man's name. I really terrific book on the space race.

I found this biography of Korolev to be very well researched and equally well written. It does a lot to put one of the least known, but most important scientists of the 20th century into perspective. The book has a few flaws though. It is very, very detailed on technical information, but is somewhat lacking in more personal details about Korolev's life. This small flaw makes to book a little less interesting, but also could have been unavoidable for the author. Undoubtedly Korolev, having lived under Stalin's rule and having spent time in the Soviet prison camp system, knew how to keep personal opinions to himself. Therefore, there just might not be much "personal information" available about Korolev for a historian to dig up. The book does bring out Korolev's excellent scientific and administrative abilities - the two keys to his sucess as a scientist and the early dramatic sucess of the Soviet space program. The book also shows why the Soviet space program faltered following Korolev's death. If you're interested in the history of space exploration or the Soviet Union, I highly recommend this book.

Some fascinating insights into Korolev and the cosmonauts but a bit too much on the internecine machinations of the engineering crowd in the USSR made it a bit dull and repetitive. There wasnt much about the really interesting stuff regarding how he handled the politicians and got resources. It just tended to say "Sergei Pavlovich got the money somehow...".There might be better Korolev biographys around but it you cant find any and are interested in the subject then read this.