Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (Rutgers University Press Classics) Paperback – May 23, 2018

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 book that I enjoyed reading without possessing a technical background. The book is so well written that I think anyone who reads it will enjoy it and have no problem understanding it.

Told by a man who was there, in the middle of it. A person who liked "energetic chemistry" (explosions) so much that he made a career of it. With a sense of humor about: Which rocket fuels worked, which didn't, why, how the problems were fixed, and much of the interesting personal dirt besides. It lists promising fuels, and even how to recognize them by flame color. Wouldn't you like to know about the "secret rocket fuels"? And what went wrong with them? (And actually, a few went -very- right.) And don't you want to know how red fuming nitric acid is kept in metal containers (i.e. rockets) without eating holes in them? And also, wouldn't you be sad to miss the before and after photos of a rocket engine test cell that had a "malfunction"? Great fun.

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).

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 fantastic look into the 8th world of a propulsion chemist commonly referred to as a rocket scientist. The tongue-in-cheek storytelling of the altar reflects his view on life given the fact that what he's working with has blown up so many times and almost killed them so many times he doesn't have PTSD. this also takes into account the fact that most of the chemicals the gentleman work with were so poisonous that they could kill you within a few moments of exposure.the joy of this book is learning that science can be fun if also life-threatening on a daily basis on the level of any major Hollywood motion picture filled with explosions Jared if you're a fan of a good story rocket science science in general or somebody trying to deal with the day-to-day threats on his life while trying to get the job done this book is for you. I would also recommend propulsion chemist as a potential job opportunity for any young individual looking for a career in something exciting yet terrifying 😊