The Making of a Soviet Scientist

From 1973 to 1990, Roald Sagdeev, as head of the Soviet Space Research Institute, struggled to make scientific progress against formidable odds. This autobiography provides an insider's view of the Soviet military and chronicles the politics underlying the Soviet Union's space programme.

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The critically acclaimed memoir that rips the curtain of secrecy off the world of Soviet science "Revelations and insights about the Soviet space program ...It is good that such a wise man will live among us for a while." -The New York Times "A rare, valuable, insider's look at the Soviet military industrial machine."-Publishers Weekly "I found it fascinating ...important not only to scientists, but also for those who fashion government politics generally."-Herman Feshbach Institute Professor Emeritus Massachusetts Institute of Technology "A real contribution to the literature of the space age."-Chicago Sun-Times "This is a powerful yet charming account of the Soviet Union's scientific, space, and military enterprise, characterized by Sagdeev's frank and insightful style mixed with delightful humor and humanity."-Charles H. Townes Nobel Laureate in Physics University of California, Berkeley "For all who are interested in the interaction of science and society, and in the nature of the Soviet Union as seen by a keen observer who was at the same time an 'insider' and a dedicated humanist, this book is highly recommended." - Physics Today