Les Fusées

Jean Pellandini
Year1960
PublisherPresses Universitaires de France
PlaceParis
LanguageFR
Pages127
SeriesQue sais-je ? n° 765
Rating★★★☆☆ (3/5)
AudienceGeneral, Student
LevelIntermediate
Keywords
propulsionrocketWorld War IIartificial satellitespace racepowder rocket
ThemesLaunchers & Propulsion, Space Race

Les Fusées traces the millennial history of reaction propulsion, from Chinese origins to modern pioneers (Esnault-Pelterie, Goddard, Oberth, Tsiolkovsky). Building on this historical foundation, subsequent chapters cover German World War II achievements (V-2, Baka kamikaze aircraft), the technical principles of solid, liquid, and nuclear propulsion, guidance systems, and thermal resistance. The work then surveys the missile arsenals of the major powers (United States, USSR, United Kingdom, France) around 1960, before opening onto nascent astronautics: artificial satellites, interplanetary travel, and the prospects of ionic propulsion.

📖 Editorial Review

First published in 1957, before Sputnik had even been launched, Les Fusées (The Rockets) by Jean Pellandini appears in its second edition in 1960, dedicated to Robert Esnault-Pelterie, who died while the first edition was in press. This entry in the Que sais-je? series (no. 765) belongs to the rich wave of French …