Dr. Space: The Life of Werner Von Braun

I doubt that many readers here would dismiss a book because of laudatory marketing on the dustjacket--but it happens. Further, to criticize a book so meticulously referenced because the author met the subject and may have had a favorable impression would bring publishing to a halt. This will not be the first or the last book on Wernher von Braun; however, it has come at a time when some historical re-evaluation is needed. WvB's dream was not merely to travel to space, but to someday inhabit it, and he believed that a human expedition to Mars was well within our scientific and technical capability, probably long before manned missions to the moon were abandoned. We DID find out that the craters on the moon are largely NOT volcanic, and I have met the person who put forth THAT theory 20 years before it could be evaluated by evidence, Ralph Belknap Baldwin. His impressive writings on another subject, the Proximity Fuze, are largely ignored by scholars...for another day. On to WvB. I'm sure there are many who breathed a sigh of relief when he finally succumbed to cancer. Or, perhaps, that he were not born of Prussian nobility. Yet, despite great odds against him (SS officer position, being awared the War Merit Cross with Swords), he managed to move the entire Pennemuende operation from the Baltic Sea to southern Germany, to mastermind surrender to the Americans and protect vital documents against Soviet plunder. For that alone he could be remembered. Yet, he did much more. He was in no position to thwart National Socialism, any more than many Americans are in a position to thwart a motion toward American Socialism. Yet, as a cog in a military-industrial machine, he managed to keep his scientist's heart and dreams, to endure the barriers to the patience of a likely genius (no, I did not meet him or measure his IQ, though it would have been a challenge). This is the most engaging writing I've seen on the subject of Wernher von Braun's life, it is recent (2005), and I recommend it to anyone interested in the subject of the man, WWII history, the Cold War, the Space Race, socio-politics of the 20th century, and the U.S. Military-Industrial Complex. There are insights here, and important leads for researchers, and for those alone, it is highly recommended. Should it be criticised because the author attributes the term Iron Curtain to Churchill and not to Dr. Josef Goebbels, who used it long before? Of course not, 'twould be silly indeed. As a caveat, understand I am the son of a man who worked on "classified" ordnance projects during the War, which I am researching at length, and on that basis, those who will disqualify my opinions on that basis are welcome to have a go. Otherwise, if you have read this far, you probably will want to read "Dr. Space."

When you finish reading Dr. Space you will feel like you have been given an opportunity to meet Dr. Wernher von Braun. This book focuses on von Braun the man and not just what he did for NASA. When studying history it is important to remember that many men are smart enough to discover and understand principles of operation but it is that rare individual who is able to take that knowledge and make history. In this book the reader is able to finally learn about von Braun and his way of thinking, motivating, and leading. We see a young von Braun as a student and his days of leading a rocket club. Then it's on to his days in Germany and the development of the V-2 rocket. We follow him after he comes to the U.S. and spends time in Texas until he finally gets his chance to shine in Huntsville, Alabama. We see him in action in Huntsville developing the Saturn rockets and sending men to the moon. Finally we follow him to Washington and see the end of his NASA career, his move into private enterprise and his fight with cancer. Along the way we see what von Braun did after hours and on vacation. He SCUBA dives, sails, flies aircraft, tells jokes, and visits a topless club or two. We see that he became the life of any party and had a very broad knowledge in many subjects other than rocketry. There are several photographs included ranging from V-2 rockets being set up at White Sands, New Mexico to von Braun and his family out on his boat in Alabama. While this may not be the definitive book on all that von Braun did in his days at NASA it is the book about von Braun the man. Read, learn and enjoy. I did.

and not just the scientist, then this is the biography to read. Dr. von Braun had, perhaps, the most brillant mind of anyone living in this century. But everything I had ever read about him dealt with the scientific aspects of that mind and, of course, the moral aspects of his Nazi past. I maintain that if Hitler was ordering you to produce or die, you would have done what this man did - produce. And after all was said and done, his family lost everything. I was more interested in knowing this brilliant man as a human being. I have traveled to Rocket City, USA and it is a wonderful and interesting place. Most interesting is that they recently erected a replica Saturn V which stands magnificently and can be seen for miles. So, if you want to know Wernher von Braun, the man, then this is a great book to read. Thank you Bob Ward for giving me a better idea of the fine man that he was. I am truly convinced that without his mind and his German cohorts an American would have never walked on the moon. Thank you Dr. von Braun!!!

Well balanced biography of von Braun and his tremendous influence on our effort that resulted in a man on the moon.

Wernher von Braun was very bright, very dedicated, and very, very lucky. Looking at what he did, there is no question that he was a very bright fellow. He couldn't have done all that he did otherwise. He was also very dedicated. He lived and breathed rockets. He started working with rockets very early and kept at it all through his life. But just think how lucky he was. Had he been born earlier (like Goddard) there were no rocket programs. Had he been born later, say he turned 16 or 17 in 1944, it is likely that he would have been cannon fodder on the eastern front. Had he been fascinated by any of a hundred other subjects: machine guns, aircraft engines, submarines or whatever, he would have been just another member of the Nazi party and the SS. Rather than a trip to the US as a "Special Employee" of the US Army, it is likely that he would have a trip to prison instead. If he had been in the Russian zone .... This is the first book on von Braun that I've read that got the story of Operation Paperclip and the special trip to Mexico correct. That shows pretty good research.