Passwords are now required to access your library account. To create a password, select "Reset my Password" from the Login screen (email address required). For further assistance, please contact the library.

The wrong stuff: how the Soviet space program crashed and burned
(Book)

Book Cover
Your Rating: 0 stars
Star rating for

Published:
New York : PublicAffairs, 2024.
Format:
Book
Edition:
First edition.
ISBN:
9781541703346
Physical Desc:
pages cm
Status:
Pitkin New Book Collection
629.40947 S912

Description

"A witty, deeply researched history of the surprisingly ramshackle Soviet space program, and how its success was more spin than science. In the wake of World War II, with America ascendant and the Soviet Union devastated by the conflict, the Space Race should have been over before it started. But the underdog Soviets scored a series of victories--starting with the 1957 launch of Sputnik and continuing in the years following--that seemed to achieve the impossible. It was proof, it seemed, that the USSR had manpower and collective will that went beyond America's material advantages. They had asserted themselves as a world power. But in The Wrong Stuff, John Strausbaugh tells a different story. These achievements were amazing, yes, but they were also PR victories as much as scientific ones. The world saw a Potemkin spaceport; the internal facts were much sloppier, less impressive, more dysfunctional. The Soviet supply chain was a disaster, and many of its machines barely worked. The cosmonauts aboard its iconic launch of the Vostok 1 rocket had to go on a special diet, and take off their space suits, just to fit inside without causing a failure. Soviet scientists, under intense government pressure, had essentially made their rocket out of spit and band aids, and hurried to hide their work as soon as their worldwide demonstration was complete. With a witty eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, John Strausbaugh takes us behind the Iron Curtain, and shows just how little there was to find there"--

Also in This Series

Copies

Location
Call Number
Status
Last Check-In
Pitkin New Book Collection
629.40947 S912
On Shelf
Nov 12, 2024
Location
Call Number
Status
Last Check-In
TELL WPL Adult NonFiction
629.409 STRAUSBAUGH
Due Dec 10, 2024

More Like This

Other Editions and Formats

More Copies In Prospector

Loading Prospector Copies...

More Details

Street Date:
2406
Language:
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
Description
"A witty, deeply researched history of the surprisingly ramshackle Soviet space program, and how its success was more spin than science. In the wake of World War II, with America ascendant and the Soviet Union devastated by the conflict, the Space Race should have been over before it started. But the underdog Soviets scored a series of victories--starting with the 1957 launch of Sputnik and continuing in the years following--that seemed to achieve the impossible. It was proof, it seemed, that the USSR had manpower and collective will that went beyond America's material advantages. They had asserted themselves as a world power. But in The Wrong Stuff, John Strausbaugh tells a different story. These achievements were amazing, yes, but they were also PR victories as much as scientific ones. The world saw a Potemkin spaceport; the internal facts were much sloppier, less impressive, more dysfunctional. The Soviet supply chain was a disaster, and many of its machines barely worked. The cosmonauts aboard its iconic launch of the Vostok 1 rocket had to go on a special diet, and take off their space suits, just to fit inside without causing a failure. Soviet scientists, under intense government pressure, had essentially made their rocket out of spit and band aids, and hurried to hide their work as soon as their worldwide demonstration was complete. With a witty eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, John Strausbaugh takes us behind the Iron Curtain, and shows just how little there was to find there"--,Provided by publisher.

Reviews from GoodReads

Loading GoodReads Reviews.

Citations

APA Citation (style guide)

Strausbaugh, J. (2024). The wrong stuff: how the Soviet space program crashed and burned. First edition. New York, PublicAffairs.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Strausbaugh, John. 2024. The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned. New York, PublicAffairs.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Strausbaugh, John, The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned. New York, PublicAffairs, 2024.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Strausbaugh, John. The Wrong Stuff: How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned. First edition. New York, PublicAffairs, 2024.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.

Staff View

Grouped Work ID:
246a18aa-7fdb-2c22-3917-9d2d1f457e49
Go To Grouped Work

Record Information

Last Sierra Extract TimeNov 19, 2024 02:24:03 PM
Last File Modification TimeNov 19, 2024 02:24:12 PM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeNov 23, 2024 11:00:50 PM

MARC Record

LEADER03991nam a2200541 i 4500
0011401907581
003DLC
003OCoLC
00520240724112022.6
008240122s2024    nyu      b    000 0 eng  
010 |a 2023046976
020 |a 9781541703346 |q (hardcover)
020 |z 9781541703360 |q (ebook)
035 |a (OCoLC)1401907581
040 |a DLC |b eng |e rda |c DLC |d TnLvILS
042 |a pcc
043 |a e-ur---
05000 |a TL789.8.S65 |b S77 2024
08200 |a 629.40947 |2 23/eng/20240128
099 |a 629.409 STRAUSBAUGH
1001 |a Strausbaugh, John, |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88004505 |e author.
24514 |a The wrong stuff : |b how the Soviet space program crashed and burned / |c John Strausbaugh.
250 |a First edition.
263 |a 2406
2641 |a New York : |b PublicAffairs, |c 2024.
300 |a pages cm
336 |a text |b txt |2 rdacontent
337 |a unmediated |b n |2 rdamedia
338 |a volume |b nc |2 rdacarrier
504 |a Includes bibliographical references.
520 |a "A witty, deeply researched history of the surprisingly ramshackle Soviet space program, and how its success was more spin than science. In the wake of World War II, with America ascendant and the Soviet Union devastated by the conflict, the Space Race should have been over before it started. But the underdog Soviets scored a series of victories--starting with the 1957 launch of Sputnik and continuing in the years following--that seemed to achieve the impossible. It was proof, it seemed, that the USSR had manpower and collective will that went beyond America's material advantages. They had asserted themselves as a world power. But in The Wrong Stuff, John Strausbaugh tells a different story. These achievements were amazing, yes, but they were also PR victories as much as scientific ones. The world saw a Potemkin spaceport; the internal facts were much sloppier, less impressive, more dysfunctional. The Soviet supply chain was a disaster, and many of its machines barely worked. The cosmonauts aboard its iconic launch of the Vostok 1 rocket had to go on a special diet, and take off their space suits, just to fit inside without causing a failure. Soviet scientists, under intense government pressure, had essentially made their rocket out of spit and band aids, and hurried to hide their work as soon as their worldwide demonstration was complete. With a witty eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, John Strausbaugh takes us behind the Iron Curtain, and shows just how little there was to find there"-- |c Provided by publisher.
6500 |a Astronautics |z Soviet Union. |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85008967
6500 |a Astronautics and state |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85008973 |z Soviet Union. |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80126312-781
6500 |a Space race |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh95002344 |z Soviet Union. |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n80126312-781
6500 |a Space race |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh95002344 |z United States |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n78095330-781 |x History |y 20th century. |0 https://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2002006165
907 |a .b67806144
917 |a .o40095484
948 |a MARCIVE Overnight, in 2024.08
989 |1 .i152370456 |b 1130004188144 |d pcnb |g - |m  |h 4 |x 0 |t 4 |i 0 |j 250 |k 240705 |n 11-12-2024 23:13 |o p |a 629.40947 |r S912
989 |1 .i152370468 |d mdlh |g q |m  |h 0 |x 0 |t 0 |i 0 |j 28 |k 240705 |o d
989 |1 .i152401180 |d mdlh |g q |m  |h 0 |x 0 |t 0 |i 0 |j 28 |k 240709 |o d
989 |1 .i152521665 |b 1230004143714 |d tlwnf |g - |m 241210 |h 3 |x 0 |t 3 |i 0 |j 7 |k 240724 |n 10-04-2024 13:52 |o - |a 629.409 STRAUSBAUGH
995 |a Loaded with m2btab.ltiac in 2024.08
995 |a Loaded with m2btab.btcat in 2024.07
995 |a Loaded with m2btab.b in 2024.07
995 |a Loaded with m2btab.acq2 in 2024.07
998 |a (2)mdlh |a pc |a (2)tl |a (2)tlw |b 240724 |c m |d a  |e - |f eng |g nyu |h 4 |i 4
998 |e - |f eng |a mdlh |a pc |a tl |a tlw