More than half a century ago, a young boy, clutching a used-up battery, climbed a fence and tried to jump "as high as the sky!" He was determined to explore the secrets of the air.
Many years later Robert Goddard realized his childhood dream. On a farm outside Worcester, Massachusetts, he launched the first liquid-fuel rocket. Later, in new Mexico, he conducted the experiments which brought him lasting fame as a scientist and which now make it possible for us to launch men into orbit.
Engagingly narrated and strikingly illustrated, Goddard's fascinating story will capture the imagination of every child and introduce him to the exciting world of rocketry.
We meet Robert Goddard as a boy reading about imaginary journeys between planets and conducting experiments in his attic workroom. We see him as a student and as a teacher at Clark University, continuing his sometimes noisy research. After many tests he finally found the fuel that would give his rockets the power to soar far into space.
But Goddard's story is not confined to the laboratory. It tells of the suspense surrounding the first major test of Goddard's new rocket. It shows us a man persisting courageously in the face of many hardships and little support from his colleagues.
Above all, Trail Blazer to the Stars is an inspiring story of how Robert Goddard went on to become a pioneer of space travel, honored throughout the world. Text and pictures have been checked by Willy Ley, well-known science writer and authority on rocket research and space travel.
—from the dust jacket
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