Catalog C

The Postwar Era (1946 – 1949)

Writings on rocketry and space travel at the start of the Cold War — from captured V-2 reportage and the first popular accounts of rocket power to the earliest technical works that would shape the coming decade. Forty-nine books, 1946 to 1949.

1946
Cover of A La Conquista Del Espacio.

A La Conquista Del Espacio.

Maluquer, Juan J.

First descriptions of Germany’s V- weapons in a book in the Spanish language. Illustrated.

Barcelona: Editorial Seix Barral.
Spanish. First edition, wraps.
Ciancone: 153.
1946
Cover of Navigation Interplanétaire.

Navigation Interplanétaire.

Ananoff, Alexandre

Ananoff’s first book—previous publications were pamphlets or reprints of conferences—presents the problems of space travel and potential solutions.

Paris: Éditions Elzévir.
French. First edition, stiff wraps.
Ciancone: 6.
1946
Cover of Dawn Of The Space Age.

Dawn Of The Space Age.

Harper, Harry

Written by a journalist and member of the British Interplanetary Society (B.I.S.) It was approved as a non-technical presentation by the B.I.S.

London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Co..
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 95.
1946
Cover of U.S. Rocket Ordnance Development And Use In World War II.

U.S. Rocket Ordnance Development And Use In World War II.

Joint Board On Scientific Information Policy.

Describes the rocket ordnance in the U.S. arsenal, its development and deployment in combat. First edition, wraps. Illustrated.

U.S. Government Printing Office.
English. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: N/A.
1946
Cover of The Moon Rocket.

The Moon Rocket.

Wilcox, Arthur

Discusses rocketry, spaceflight, and spaceship projects of the British Interplanetary Society (B.I.S.). Two exemplars in the collection, one ex- library.

London: Nelson.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 232.
1946
Cover of Ballistics Of The Future.

Ballistics Of The Future.

J. Kooy & J. Uytenbogaart

Highly detailed report on the V2 weapons. Available in this collection in three exemplars: European first edition (1946), U.S. first edition (1946), and Russian first edition (1950).

Featured Ballistics of the Future. Three Editions.
Haarlem, The Netherlands: Stam & New York: McGraw-Hill.
English. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: 116a & 116b.
1946
Cover of Rockets.

Rockets.

Goddard, Robert H.

Reprint of Goddard’s seminal monographs (1919, 1936) with the addition of a biography of Goddard by George Pendray and a foreword written by Goddard.

New York: American Rocket Society.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 86.
1946
Cover of Jet Engines In Aviation.

Jet Engines In Aviation.

Inozemtsev, N. V.

A scientist in the fields of thermodynamics and the theory of engines. Held a department chair at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). The book discusses jet engines only.

Moscow: Oborongiz.
Russian. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: 86.
1946
Cover of Firing Of Rockets From Aircraft.

Firing Of Rockets From Aircraft.

Anderson, Carl D.

Restricted OSRD report on aircraft rocket launchers, sights, and flight tests, prepared for the Aircraft Launcher Group under Nobel laureate Carl D. Anderson (Physics, 1936), with Chapter 5 by William R. Smythe and sections of Chapter 3 by Leverett Davis, Jr. Edited by Catherine Campbell. Profusely illustrated with photographic plates and diagrams.

Featured Firing of Rockets from Aircraft
Pasadena: California Institute of Technology.
English. First edition, restricted, red cloth, no DJ.
Ciancone: N/A.
1947
Cover of L’Humanité Devant La Navigation Interplanétaire.

L’Humanité Devant La Navigation Interplanétaire.

Ducrocq, Albert

Discusses voyages to the Moon and Mars, space stations and satellites. Contains an appendix on nuclear energy.

Paris: Calmann-Levy.
French. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: 61.
1947
Cover of The Boys' Book Of Rockets.

The Boys' Book Of Rockets.

Yates, Raymond

Illustrated introduction to rocketry and space travel for young readers.

New York: Harper.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 236a.
1947
Cover of German Research In World War II.

German Research In World War II.

Simon, Leslie

Describes the German war effort and the rocketry activities at Peenemünde.

New York: Wiley.
English. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: 209.
1947
Cover of Mathematical Theory Of Rocket Flight.

Mathematical Theory Of Rocket Flight.

Rosser, Newton & Gross

Official final report on aerodynamics of fin-stabilized rockets.

New York: McGraw-Hill.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 197.
1947
Cover of The Problem Of Flight With The Aid Of Reactive Vehicles.

The Problem Of Flight With The Aid Of Reactive Vehicles.

Tsander, F. A.

Edited by M.K. Tikhonravov. It’s an updated and extended edition of Tsander’s book from 1932.

Moscow: Oborongiz.
Russian. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: R81.
1947
Cover of Rocketry - Jets And Rockets.

Rocketry - Jets And Rockets.

Lent, Constantin

Extensive survey of rocket designs and their applications for interstellar travel and war, with chapters on the German rocket weapons of WWII.

New York: Pen-Ink Publishing.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 127.
1947
Cover of Voyages Interplanétaires et Energie Atomique.

Voyages Interplanétaires et Energie Atomique.

Richard-Foy, Robert

Discusses spaceships propelled by uranium fusion and using water as expendable mass.

Paris: Michel.
French. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: 190.
1947
Cover of Des Premières Fusées au V-2.

Des Premières Fusées au V-2.

Ananoff, Alexandre

Explores peaceful uses of V2 rockets.

Paris: Éditions Elzévir.
French. First edition, wraps.
Ciancone: 7.
1947
Cover of The Technology Of Rocket Flight.

The Technology Of Rocket Flight.

Sänger, Eugen

Russian edition of Sänger’s Raketenflugtechnik (Munich, 1933) also available in the collection.

Moscow: Oborongiz.
Russian. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: R83.
1947
Cover of Works On Rocket Technology.

Works On Rocket Technology.

Tsiolkovsky, Konstantin

Edited by M.K. Tikhonravov.

Moscow: Oborongiz.
Russian. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: R82.
1947
Cover of New Weapons For Air Warfare.

New Weapons For Air Warfare.

Boyce, Joseph C.

One of the eight volumes in the official OSRD’s series Science in World War II. Discusses antiaircraft weapons, whether rocket-propelled or not. The other volume in the series devoted to rocketry (Rockets, Guns And Targets, 1948) is also available in this collection.

Featured Rocket Ordnance in Action
Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: N/A.
1947
Cover of Basic Theory Of Reactive Engines.

Basic Theory Of Reactive Engines.

Kolesnikov, A. A.

Discusses German fighters with amjet engines, the V1, and the V2 weapons.

Moscow: Voennoe.
Russian. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: R78.
1947
Cover of Conquest Of Interplanetary Space.

Conquest Of Interplanetary Space.

Kondratyuk, Yuri

Second edition of the 1929 work. 5,000 copies.

Moscow: Oborongiz.
Russian. Second edition, softcover.
Ciancone: R79.
1948
Cover of Les Armes Secrètes Allemandes.

Les Armes Secrètes Allemandes.

Ducrocq, Albert

Discusses the use of rockets (V1, V2) by Germany in WWII and has a section on interplanetary travel. Second augmented edition.

Paris: Berger-Levrault.
French. Second edition, wraps.
Ciancone: 62 (2nd edition).
1948
Cover of Early Tales Of The Atomic Age.

Early Tales Of The Atomic Age.

Lang, Daniel

Articles from The New Yorker about the scientific war effort. Chapters 9 and 10 discuss experiments with V2 weapons in New Mexico and seem to be the first mention of Wernher von Braun by name in the U.S. press as leader of the German group that arrived with Project Paperclip.

Garden City: Doubleday.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: N/A.
1948
Cover of Principles Of Jet Propulsion And Gas Turbines.

Principles Of Jet Propulsion And Gas Turbines.

Zucrow, Maurice

Textbook based on a course given by the author in 1943-1944. Includes a chapter on "The Rocket Motor" that discusses the principles of rocket motor design and operation.

New York: Wiley & Sons.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 240.
1948
Cover of Rocket Development.

Rocket Development.

Goddard, Robert H.

Excerpts from Goddard’s notebooks on liquid fuel rocket research 1929-1941 with detailed descriptions of tests and results. Illustrated. A reprint was published in 1961.

New York: Prentice-Hall.
English. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: 240.
1948
Cover of Motores De Reacción.

Motores De Reacción.

Catalá Virgili, Joaquín

Discusses turbines and jets, with a chapter on reactive motors that includes some of the first descriptions and illustrations of the V1 and V2 weapons in Spanish. Two exemplars in the collection.

Barcelona: Motores.
Spanish. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: N/A.
1948
Cover of Les Robots Aériens.

Les Robots Aériens.

Romet, Étienne

Includes a description of Germany’s V-weapons. First edition.

Paris: de Gigord.
French. First edition, wraps.
Ciancone: 193.
1948
Cover of Weltraumfahrt - Utopie?

Weltraumfahrt - Utopie?

Natur Und Technik magazine (Ed.)

Collection of articles on space travel originally printed in the magazine.

Vienna: Verlagbuchhandling Natur und Technik.
German. First edition, wraps.
Ciancone: 168.
1948
Cover of Physik Der Weltraumfahrt.

Physik Der Weltraumfahrt.

Gail, Otto Willi

Introduction to rocket technology and its applications for general audiences.

Munich: Reich.
German. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: 72.
1948
Cover of Voyages To The Moon.

Voyages To The Moon.

Nicolson, Marjorie

Discusses the literary depiction of lunar voyages. Extensive bibliography on fictional spaceflight.

New York: Macmillan.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 174.
1948
Cover of From The Rocket To The Reactive Airplane.

From The Rocket To The Reactive Airplane.

Liapunov, B. V.

Review of jets and rocket motors including war and space travel applications.

Moscow: Goskultatprosvetizdat.
Russian. First edition, wraps.
Ciancone: R89.
1948
Cover of Rocket.

Rocket.

Liapunov, B. V.

Juvenile literature on rockets and rocket weapons.

Moscow: Detgiz.
Russian. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: R100.
1948
Cover of Tsiolkovsky: Stenographed Lectures.

Tsiolkovsky: Stenographed Lectures.

Kosmodemyansky, A. A.

Collection of lectures by Tsiolkovsky. Two exemplars in the collection.

Moscow: Pravda.
Russian. First edition, wraps.
Ciancone: R88.
1948
Cover of Gas Turbines And Jet Propulsion.

Gas Turbines And Jet Propulsion.

Clunan, J. M.

Briefly suggests rocketry as a propulsion system for interstellar travel (page 10).

London: Modern University Press.
English. First edition, paper boards.
Ciancone: N/A.
1948
Cover of Rockets, Guns And Targets.

Rockets, Guns And Targets.

Burchard, John E. (Ed.)

One of eight volumes in the official OSRD’s series Science in World War II. Discusses development of rocket weapons in the U.S. such as recoilless guns, hypervelocity projectiles, and describes ballistics of rockets. The other volume in the series devoted to rocketry (New Weapons For Air Warfare, 1947) is also available in this collection.

Featured Rocket Ordnance in Action
Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: N/A.
1948
Cover of Aircraft as Fighter Robots.

Aircraft as Fighter Robots.

Dyrgalla, Ricardo

The first book-length discussion of WWII rocket weapons in Spanish. Written by a Polish engineer who flew reconnoissance missions with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and studied German weapons before moving to Argentina.

Buenos Aires: Self published.
Spanish. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: N/A.
1949
Cover of The Conquest Of Space.

The Conquest Of Space.

Ley, Willy

Illustrated by Chesley Bonestell. This is the classic coffee table book that inspired so many careers in aerospace.

Featured The Conquest of Space
New York: Viking.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 138a.
1949
Cover of Weltraumflug.

Weltraumflug.

Schaub, Werner

Describes orbits and interplanetary flight from an astronomical and mathematic point of view.

Bonn: Dümmlers.
German. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: 206.
1949
Cover of Guided Missiles.

Guided Missiles.

Weyl, Alfred

Collection of articles mostly focused on guided missiles and the V1.

London: Temple Press.
English. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: 230a.
1949
Cover of Rockets And Jets.

Rockets And Jets.

Way, Barnard & Green, Noel

Introduction to rocket propulsion.

Redhill, Surrey: Wells Gardner, Darton & Co.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 228.
1949
Cover of High-Altitude Rocket Research With V-2 Rockets.

High-Altitude Rocket Research With V-2 Rockets.

Krause, Ernst

Excerpt from the Smithsonian Annual Report for 1948. Summarizes results of experiments with V2 rockets in the US.

Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution.
English. First edition, rebound.
Ciancone: 118.
1949
Cover of Kleine Raketenkunde.

Kleine Raketenkunde.

Kaiser, Hans

Devoted to rocket propulsion up to the end of WWII and its potential uses for space travel. Two exemplars in the collection.

Stuttgart: Mundus.
German. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 113.
1949
Cover of Rocket Propulsion Elements.

Rocket Propulsion Elements.

Sutton, George P.

First edition, first printing of Sutton's book, the classic study of rocket propulsion technology. The second printing (1949) is also available in this collection (see following entry), as is the second edition.

New York: Wiley.
English. First edition, HC, DJ.
Ciancone: 217a.
1949
Cover of Rocket Propulsion Elements.

Rocket Propulsion Elements.

Sutton, George P.

Second printing of the first edition. The first printing (also 1949) and the second edition are also available in this collection.

New York: Wiley.
English. First edition, second printing, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: 217a.
1949
Cover of From Rocket To Jet Aircraft.

From Rocket To Jet Aircraft.

Bulatov G. A.

Signed. Provincial book publication. Only 2,000 copies printed.

Moscow: Nalchik.
Russian. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: R91.
1949
Cover of Flight Into Universal Space.

Flight Into Universal Space.

Sternfeld, Ari

Introduction to rocketry. The French edition (1954) of this work is also available in the collection.

Moscow: Gosudarstvennoe.
Russian. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: R96.
1949
Cover of Biography: The famous scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.

Biography: The famous scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky.

Kosmodemyansky, A. A.

Kosmodemyansky would edit the Russian edition of Ballistics of The Future a year later. Two exemplars in the collection.

Moscow: Voenizdat.
Russian. First edition, softcover.
Ciancone: R94.
1949
Cover of Nota Informativa Sulla Propulsione A Reazione E Sul Pilotaggio Dei Velivoli A Reazione.

Nota Informativa Sulla Propulsione A Reazione E Sul Pilotaggio Dei Velivoli A Reazione.

Italian Air Force

Introductory text to reaction motors with a brief description of rocket propulsion.

Italy: Ministerio della Difesa Aeronautica.
Italian. First edition, wraps.
Ciancone: N/A.
1949
Cover of The Atmospheres Of The Earth And Planets.

The Atmospheres Of The Earth And Planets.

Kuiper, Gerard (Ed.)

Papers presented at the 1947 Yerkes Observatory Symposium. Several papers on the study of the upper atmosphere using captured V2 rockets.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
English. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: 120a.
1949
Cover of Physics And Chemistry Of Reactive Devices.

Physics And Chemistry Of Reactive Devices.

Sokolik, A. S. (Ed.)

The three volumes (1948-1949) are available in the collection. Articles translated from German, English, and French.

Moscow: Foreign Publishing House.
Russian. First edition, HC, no DJ.
Ciancone: N/A.