Starman : Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin - Softcover

Bizony, Piers

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0747542678 ISBN 13: 9780747542674

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Pod, 1999

Synopsis

On April 12 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in history to leave the Earth's atmosphere and venture into space. An icon of the 20th century, he also became a danger to himself, a threat to the Soviet state and, at the age of 34, he was killed in a plane accident. Based on KGB files, restricted documents from Russian space authorities, and interviews with his friends and colleagues, this biography of the Russian cosmonaut reveals a man in turmoil: torn apart by powerful political and emotional pressures; his private life in ruins; fighting a losing battle against alcoholism; and rebelling against the cruelties of a corrupt totalitarian regime. The authors also suggest that Gagarin's death was no accident but a deliberate "political elimination".

About this title

About the Author:

Piers Bizony is author of the award-winning 2001: Filming the Future a detailed account of the making of Stanley Kubrick's film, The Rivers of Mars: Searching for the Cosmic Origins of Life and Island in the Sky: Building the International Space Station. He also lectures and organizes exhibitions on space-related subjects.
Jamie Doran of Atlantic Celtic Films is an international award-winning documentary producer. After seven years at BBC Television, he went into independent production, where many of his films have concentrated on lifting the lid of secrecy within the former Soviet Union.

Review:

"An extraordinary and accessible examination of this enormous contribution to space exploration, supported by riveting first-hand anecdotes. Essential to any air and space collection." – Library Journal (starred)

"Well-written, engaging, and brow-raising in many ways."—SpaceCoalition.com

"This excellent narrative will keep you enthralled and give you new perspectives on an old name we’re all familiar with." – Astronomy Magazine online

"This extraordinarily intimate account of the 1967 death of a Russian cosmonaut appears in a new book, Starman, by Jamie Doran and Piers Bizony, to be published next month. The authors base their narrative principally on revelations from a KGB officer, Venymin Ivanovich Russayev, and previous reporting by Yaroslav Golovanov in Pravda. This version — if it's true — is beyond shocking."—Robert Krulwich, in his post on NPR.org

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Pod
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0747542678
• ISBN 13: 9780747542674
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 248