posted March 05, 2005 09:23 AM               

quote:

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Russia has published an unprecedented book, World Manned Cosmonautics, revealing for the first time secrets of all the manned programs realized in the USSR, Russia, the United States, China and some other countries.

"For the first time in the history of cosmonautics the book describes in detail, popularly in fascinating and at the same time responsible form all the manned flights in the period from 1961 to 2004. It also represents the design of most manned spacecraft", said editor-in-chief of the magazine Novosti Kosmonavtiki (News of Cosmonautics) and supervisor of the authors' collective Igor Marinin.

The book devotes a special place to unrealized projects and different foreign programs. "It will be published in 5,000 copies. The price of the almost 2.5-kilogram copy is about 2,600 rubles", Mr. Marinin told RIA Novosti.

The book consultant Pilot-Cosmonaut Yuri Baturin said: "We present a book of which we are very proud. Indeed, there is no such book elsewhere in the world and will hardly be in 20 years to come". "We dedicate it to the 45th birthday of the team of cosmonauts, to be marked on March 7, 2005", he added.

In turn, Cosmonaut Pavel R. Popovich of the first enrolment noted: "I very much like the style of writing. What is noteworthy, it is not overpoliticized", Mr. Popovich said.

The difference in principle between this book and a mere book of facts is that it is not a report about missions, understandable to only a narrow circle of specialists, but a publication which will help readers interested in the progress of world cosmonautics to understand the very core of it.

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posted March 06, 2005 11:33 AM               

This is a rough tranlation of the text on the webpage you directed us to:

On March, 4 press conference has taken place in the House of journalists, concerning issue of the book " World pilotiruemaja astronautics ", written group of authors of magazine " News of astronautics " and financed by company RTSoft (general director Olga Viktorovna Sinenko).

Pilots-cosmonauts Pavel Popovich, Jury Baturin and Valery Poljakov have taken part in press conference, and as Olga Sinenko and authors of the book of I.Afanasev, K.Lantratov, I.Lisov, V.Lukashevich, S.Shamsutdinov. The head of creative collective I.Marinin conducted press conference.

After discussion of the book and numerous questions, representatives of press could have a talk with cosmonauts and participants of the project in informal conditions on a buffet table. In end of a meeting all participants have received gifts from company RTSoft.

More detailed picture story about press conference will soon appear in PHOTO GALLERY "NK".

- I.M.

posted March 06, 2005 02:22 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by spaceman:
Hi Robert, any details of how to purchase a copy?

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posted March 18, 2005 09:14 AM            

Book - $100
Postage - $39
Insurance - $10
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Total - $149

To pay, send money via Western Union to the
attention of Valerie (Valieria) Davidova, and email Igor <marinin@novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru> the WU transaction number.

For those who speak Russian, email me and I'll forward you my original message and his response. Hope this helps.

Ad Astra!

Bob

posted March 24, 2005 08:44 AM            

I'll post a review as soon as I get it.

posted April 10, 2005 11:02 AM               

Good reading!
Regards,

posted April 29, 2005 11:09 AM            

I got the book on Monday. Initial impression: WOW!

The photographs and diagrams are very high-quality. The pages are glossy and seem to feel slightly thicker than 'normal' stock, which I hope translates into pages that will stand up to the 'usage' I'll be inflicting on it. :-)

I'll try to do some reading over the next few days and post a few comments about the content

K zvezdam ("To the stars", in pseudo-Russian) :-)