Space Exploration: Chambers Compact Reference

I purchased this book in a thrift store and was amazed at how much information is in it. The book, being 14 years old now in 2006, is really more of a history book with respect to space exploration but is a wonderful read nonetheless. Written in the UK, there is no pro nation slant as many other books about space tend to be. Many areas of space are covered and all in a thorough and very clearly written way. My only complaint is that it needs an update. Surely this book as-is plus the events occurring in space over the past 14 years would make an excellent book worthy of reading by anyone interested in space. New topics such as space tourism, the ongoing construction of the International Space Station, and the most recent missions to Mars would be some of the new additions to this book. That said, I highly recommend this book and would readily purchase a second edition were it ever to become available.