V2 - The A4 Rocket from Peenemunde to Redstone

An in depth story of German rocketry from the very simple beginning until and including the American takeover in 1945. Straight and honest without any modern political correctness. Sometimes confronting, but that's war for you. This is the book to read about this part of history !

This book is very good technically and contains a lot of "where did the get them" sorts of period photos. This book is a must have for those interested in the German V2 program.

Without doubt the best book on the V2, a wealth of detail. Stunning artwork and colour photographs, some of which are new to me. Top marks!!

This is a full history of Germany’s rocket development, lots of original pictures even the workers inside MittleworkDora/ Nordhausen

As mentioned by other reviewers, this is a very good book. Well written, superb images, excellent!

This is the book on the V-2 any slight interest in V-2s and you will find it totally absorbing hard to put down. Beautiful colour plates.

Comprehensive, well written, well illustrated. Authoritative: worth the money. Highly recommended.

Was perfect for what I need and even though it said it was second hand it is in mint condition

Één van de betere boeken ook voor modelbouw

Le armi segrete messe a punto dagli scienziati del Terzo Reich nel corso della seconda guerra mondiale hanno sempre rappresentato un argomento affascinante e da questo punto di vista il soggetto è stato affrontato in decine e decine di libri e pubblicazioni. Questo volume dedicato al missile balistico V2 merita però un riconoscimento particolare trattandosi di uno dei libri più completi ed esaustivi sino ad ora pubblicati in materia. Il testo prende in esame la storia completa dei progetti missilistici tedeschi, dalle prime ricerche pionieristiche compiute in Germania negli anni tra le due guerre sino alla nascita, alla sperimentazione, allo sviluppo e infine alla produzione in serie su ampia scala dell'"Aggregat 4" (questo il nome ufficiale dell'arma). I successivi capitoli del volume sono dedicati all'impiego del missile nel corso delle campagne di bombardamento sullla Gran Bretagna, Olanda, Francia e Belgio e infine sulle vicende, abbastanza poco note, relative al reimpiego del missile a scopo sperimentale da parte delle truppe Alleate nel periodo dell'immediato dopoguerra: un numero elevato di missili V2 completi o in varie fasi di costruzione cadde infatti nelle mani dei russi e degli anglo-americani i quali si affrettarono a carpirne ogni segreto avvalendosi della collaborazione di quegli stessi scienziati e tecnici tedeschi che avevano lavorato attorno alla realizzazione dell'arma. Oltre al testo autorevole e approfondito, questo libro si distingue per un apparato iconografico di prim'ordine e di straordinario interesse: moltissime le foto d'archivio dell'epoca (la maggior parte di fonte alleata) qui riprodotte con grande nitidezza grazie anche al generoso formato del volume. Alla pregevole qualità delle foto a colori e in bianco e nero bisogna poi aggiungere un sontuoso corredo costituito da tavole e illustrazioni a colori a tutta pagina, sezioni, spaccati e disegni in scala che evidenziano tutte le componenti della V2 sin del minimo dettaglio, tra cui anche i diversi schemi di colorazione mimetica impiegati nella finitura esterna del missile (quest'ultimi molto graditi ai modellisti). In definitiva si tratta di un volume di grande pregio e validità, non solo per quanto riguarda i contenuti ma anche e specialmente per quanto riguarda la veste grafica, la ricchezza di foto e d'illustrazioni e l'eccezionale qualità dei disegni e delle tavole a colori, di grande impatto visivo e accuratamente riprodotte, che per una volta tanto non riempiono le pagine solo a titolo "cosmetico" ma costituiscono una importante e apprezzabile integrazione a un testo che, dal punto di vista dell'argomentazione storica e di quella dell'esposizione tecnica, non lascerà delusi tutti gli appassionati della materia.

Although I'm merely interested in the V2 and didn't read the author's previous work "Hitler's Rocket Soldiers," this book still seriously impressed me. I purchased my copy to try to get a better understanding of the technical details of the missile and its place in the overall context of 20th-century rocket development. Although it doesn't quite deliver in that regard, it more than makes up for it by providing an excellent overview of the construction, testing, operational use, and effects of the V2. Finding balance in this sort of book is often difficult, and many authors choose to focus on one aspect of a particular aircraft or weapon at the expense of all others. Murray Barber has pulled off the near-impossible - providing an exceptionally well-rounded portrait of the V2 which focuses on multiple aspects of the missile without letting any one element overwhelm the other. There are chapters focusing on design and testing, how the allies slowly learned of the missile's existence and attempted to develop countermeasures against it, its use against targets in England and continental Europe, and what it was like being on the receiving end of the V2. A separate chapter focuses on the design and inner workings of the rocket. We get the perspective of the scientists and engineers at Peenemünde, the Fernraketen (rocket troops) who fired the V2 in the field, the Allied intelligence officers and aircrew tasked with unraveling the rocket's mysteries and defeating it, and of ordinary civilians in places like Antwerp and London. The use of concentration camp labor, the horrific conditions at Mittlewerk, and the SS's machinations in taking overall control of the V2 are all mentioned, but not really dwelled upon. There are, however, some disturbing images of dead bodies in the last third. Except for a couple of spots where the text gets somewhat bogged down in extraneous detail, the book flows remarkably well despite the frequently shifting perspective. The production values are immaculate. The pages are printed on heavy, glossy paper, and there are hundreds of photographs (some in color), maps, diagrams, and organizational charts. There are a number of excellent "photo essays," one depicting each step of an operational V2 launch from railhead delivery to the moment of firing. There are also numerous specially created computer models by Mark Alloway depicting the interior arrangements of the missile and its engine, various camouflage schemes, and some of the transportation and launching hardware. Complaints? Although the photo essays are excellent, they tend to break up the flow of the text somewhat, and probably would have been better off at the end of chapters rather than in the middle. There are some typos here and there, but nowhere near as many as have plagued some Crecy titles in the past. Some of the computer models look a bit soft, with small details like rivets and access panels hard to make out. Seriously though, these are all minor gripes. I'm not sure if this is the definitive, end-all book on the V2, but it's certainly a fascinating, lavishly illustrated labor of love, and if you have a serious interest in the subject, probably worth the somewhat steep asking price.

V2号ロケットに関しての最高の資料です。ドイツのロケット開発の初期からV2号の開発、運用、戦後の連合国でのテスト、アメリカでのレッドストーン開発までを豊富な写真と図版で紹介しています。 本体に関しては、内部構造のイラスト・制御装置・エンジンなどの各部分の写真と運用中の様々なシーンの写真に加え、本体の各種塗装パターンとマーキングもカラーイラストで紹介されています。さらに、トレーラーとその索引車などの支援車両の写真も豊富にあります。 またこのロケットの着弾による被害状況の写真もあり、この種の兵器としての恐ろしさも判ります。 この一冊でV2号ロケットの全てが判り、文句なくお勧めです。 主な内容 ドイツにおけるロケットの発達 ペーネミュンデでの開発 V2号ロケットの構造 連合軍のペーネミュンデ爆撃 V2号ロケットの作戦運用 戦後におけるロケットの開発と発展

Trés bon dossier sur la genèse et l'emploi du V2, avec une iconographie superbe.Un plaisir à lire et un très bon document de référence.