Wernher von Braun

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up In this well documented biography, Lampton traces von Braun's career from early model rocket days, through World War II and the development of the V-2 rocket, to his crowning achievementthe Saturn 5 moon rocket. Lampton deals openly with the question of von Braun's participation in the German war machine, portraying the engineer as a visionary looking toward outer space, unaware of Nazi horrors, and even remorseful about the destructive role of the V-2. While certainly much of this is true, it is hard to believe that von Braun, scion of an aristocratic cabinet minister in the Weimar Republic, was that naive. Lampton walks a narrow line in this book, exonerating von Braun while at the same time condemning Nazi Germany. Left unsaid are the complex ethical questions about what limits scientists and engineers should place on their research. Still, considering von Braun's remarkable career, Lampton's admiration of this engineering genius is understandable. A number of interesting historic photos accompany the text. Alan Newman, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore