Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (Rutgers University Press Classics)

Well written, informative, and hilarious! The author was a rocket scientist during the post WW2 rush by the US to compete with the USSR. He explains rocket fuel chemistry and physics that most of us can follow.

One of my favorite chemistry memoirs- lacks the gravitas of Primo Levi or Oliver Sacks, but gives insight into how R&D works. There are many laugh-out-loud anecdotes but also descriptions of tragic accidents that are quite shocking by modern standards for lab health & safety. I'm not sure that non-chemists would enjoy this, as it gets into the weeds of physical chemistry and frequent discussions of chemical structure and stoichiometry, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to follow along.

This book is just delightful! It covers the history of rocket propellant research from the late 1800s to about 1980 through the eyes of a propellant chemist. The writing is engaging and humorous. For those interested in the specifics of propellant chemistry, this book is a fantastic starter. Note that this is a history, not a lab manual. The author spends plenty of time talking about why a particular chemical works and why others don't. Chemical handling problems are discussed along with spine-tingling accounts of accidents. There were a few fairly tedious sections where the specifics of a particular family of propellants were explored but these sections are easily skipped without serious impact on the following text. Readers are strongly encouraged not to try this at home because everything in this book is designed to go bang in a very big way. There is more than enough information provided in this book to get started with making liquid propellants. However, even experienced chemists accustomed to working in this field are hurt or killed. DO NOT TRY AT HOME.

This is a niche-interest book. Should you happen to be interested in the history of liquid rocket propellants, then this is absolutely the book for you. If you are interested in the history of the space program more generally, then it will likely also appeal. First published in 1972, it describes efforts to develop rocket propellants for military and space applications. These efforts are dryly described by the author, who was one of the key figures, and entail many unplanned explosions and a plethora of thoroughly noxious--if fascinating--chemicals. N.B. For a personal perspective on space history that is a little less niche, I'd recommend Gene Kranz's account "Failure is Not an Option." I note that the tone of the book is rather dated, reflecting the era it describes. For instance, I spotted only one brief mention of a female chemist amid the plethora of men. The following highlight from chapter six should give you an idea of whether you would enjoy the book: "It [chlorine trifluoride] is, of course, extremely toxic, but that's the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water--with which it reacts explosively." In case there is any doubt, I liked this book and the glimpse into extreme chemistry that it provides. About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).

I came to this book from Derek Lowe's Things I Won't Work With blog and I was not disappointed. This is a history from an insider of a field I had no contact with, and Clark takes one through with an engaging style.

Today it seems so easy. SpaceX and others launch rockets regularly so much so that it all seems like a forgone conclusion as to what fuels are used. But it wasn't always so. In the 1940s, 1950s, and into the 1960s, several men and labs around the nation worked hard (and sometimes dangerously) figuring out what fuels and oxidizers worked well together and gave the performance and characteristics desired. It was not easy. This book fleshes out the early history and development of how the fuels we use today came to be and why. While the information is technical in nature, and it helps if you have had some college level chemistry and physics classes, you don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to understand what the author is presenting. A very good read, even endorsed by Elon Musk, but it is the forward by the iconic Isaac Asimov that sets the stage. For anyone with more than a passing interest in how modern rocketry came to be, this book provides one of the foundations and in a very interesting way.

This is a fascinating book if you’re curious about the history of rocket fuel or you’re going into making rocket fuel and you want to know what’s been tried before (and why it didn’t work). The author states (and I agree) that this should be required reading for any budding rocket scientist. The author’s tone is often a wry, tongue-in-cheek take on the trials and tribulations of discovering better ways to make things go faster through rapid combustion without explosions. (As well as excellent stories regarding the subsequent explosions, of which there are many.) Individuals with a strong grounding in chemistry will understand much in this book (the author claims he “dumbed it down”). Laypeople will have to skim through the very pithy (but well explained) chemistry (about 2/3 of the book) to find the entertaining stories and quotes. All in all an excellent book from an author who found many ways to blow Uncle Sam’s money in pursuit of new ways to put molecules together in unstable forms.

An incredible (and as informal as possible) account of chemical research at the cutting edge of one of the most energetic regions of chemistry. The narrative is as dry as the salt flats and as humorous as the comedy club!

Ignore any old reviews - its a completely new version!!! This much be a new version, because its not a "shoddy pdf" - its a normal text kindle e-book, font is changeable etc Works like every ebook i've had. This is an awesomely entertaining read! Super funny - great wit from the writer. There's a few heavy parts sure, but if you dont understand them - it doesnt detract from the read at all. Its a great read & gives massive insight into the challenges these poor souls had to go through & overcame. Written in a down to earth, informative way.

Pur se scorrevole e divertente, richiede pero ‘ una base di conoscenza di chimica non banale per essere letto. Consigliato.

Habe das Buch aus einem allgemeinen Interesse an Raumfahrt und Raketentechnik gekauft und gelesen. Es handelt tatsächlich fast nur von Treibstoffen, die sonstigen "Hintergründe" beim Entwicklungsprozess kommen kaum vor, das sollte der geneigte Leser vielleicht vorher wissen, der Titel hält hier absolut was er verspricht. Das Buch ist aber sehr kurzweilig geschrieben, zuweilen sehr lustig aber immer informativ und nie langweilig. Man muss auch kein studierter Chemiker sein um das Buch zu lesen, ein wenig Grundwissen sollte man schon mitbringen aber wer in der Schule mal einen Chemiekurs hatte und bereit ist etwas zu recherchieren sollte gut klar kommen und darf sich auf ein spannendes und interessantes Buch über die ersten Jahre der Raketentreibstoffentwicklung freuen. Nebenbei bekommt man auch einen schönen Einblick in den Laboralltag, wie die Forscher damals gearbeitet haben und mit welchen technischen und bürokratischen Hindernissen sie sich herumschlagen mussten. Von mir eine klare Empfehlung für alle die ein gewisses Interesse an Raumfahrt, Treibstoffen und Technikgeschichte haben!

いつの頃からかロケット戦闘機、Me163コメートに取りつかれました。リピッシュ博士設計の小型無尾翼の時代を超越したデザインと時速1000ｋｍに迫る圧倒的なスピード、取扱いに少しでもミスが有ると爆発しパイロットをも溶かす劇薬燃料であるＴ液、Ｃ液の不気味さ、その魅力に引きつられオハイオ州デイトンの空軍博物館に見に行きました。最近、本書の存在を知り副題の「液体ロケット小史」からMe163のウォルター式ロケットエンジンについて知ることが出来るかと思い購入。残念ながら記述内容は著者が携わった1940年代から月面着陸の70年までのアメリカの液体ロケット燃料（燃料と酸化剤）の開発がメインでドイツのそれは全くなし。ただ、果てしない試行錯誤の繰り返しと、極端に発火性、爆発性の高い燃料（例：液体水素）とその燃焼を推進する酸化剤（例：液体酸素）の組み合わせの危険性は、数えきれない爆発例からよく理解できた。SF作家アイザック・アシモフが一般的には無名の著者の紹介文を書いている。その中で、著者は非常に合理的・几帳面で多大な蔵書を項目ごとに分類しており、聖書を見つけその項目を見たら、F（Fiction：小説）。10年以上たち、その事を著者に聞いたら、著者は数多くの爆発、その他予想外の事故にもかかわらず、自分と研究所スタッフが無事だったのは「神のご加護」と信じ聖書をＦ項目棚から移したとの返事。ただ、移した先のコメントはなかったとの事。

Tras mucho tiempo demorando la compra, estuve a punto de quedarme sin un ejemplar, durante al menos 3 o 7 meses! Tuve suerte, pues tras el susto, volvieron a estar disponibles 3 ejemplares, y decidí no perder la ocasión otra vez. Iva a tardar una semana, pero ha llegado en la mitad de días... en perfecto estado, sin dobleces ni bordes desgastados, calentito y oliendo a papel recién impreso! Hace tiempo que tenía ganas de tenerlo, pues allá donde se mencionara como referencia, todos coincidían en tratarse de un libro tanto con información avanzada difícil de recopilar por separado, sin ser exigente en tener que ser un experto en la materia para entenderlo, a la par que lleno de anécdotas descabelladas, y ser tremendamente divertido de leer! Si cumple todas mis expectativas, yo lo compararía con "El tío Tungsteno: recuerdos de un químico precoz" del genial Oliver Sacks! Hasta donde me consta, la única editorial disponible es la que fuera la propia universidad del autor, no se han hecho traducciones, y de hecho, hacía décadas que no se volvía a publicar... por lo que si leer en inglés no es un problema para ti, y aun si fuera un esfuerzo, no te pierdas ésta experiencia!