--- product_id: 66687885 title: "Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (Rutgers University Press Classics)" price: "S$56" currency: SGD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/66687885-ignition-an-informal-history-of-liquid-rocket-propellants-rutgers-university store_origin: SG region: Singapore --- # Rare reissue, first time in decades Decades of rocket fuel innovation Deep dive into complex chemistry Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (Rutgers University Press Classics) **Price:** S$56 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🚀 Ignite your curiosity with the explosive history of rocket fuels! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (Rutgers University Press Classics) - **How much does it cost?** S$56 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sg](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/66687885-ignition-an-informal-history-of-liquid-rocket-propellants-rutgers-university) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Rocket Science Unveiled:** Explore the hazardous quest for reliable liquid propellants that powered humanity to the moon. - • **Accessible Yet Technical:** Balances detailed chemical insights with engaging storytelling, ideal for professionals craving depth. - • **Cold War Chemistry Drama:** Discover the high-stakes political and scientific battles behind rocket fuel development. - • **Exclusive Classic Reissue:** Own a newly reissued gem, unavailable for decades—perfect for collectors and science buffs alike. - • **Insider Eyewitness Account:** Written by a pioneering scientist, blending memoir with technical history for an authentic narrative. ## Overview Ignition! is a newly reissued classic that chronicles the perilous and groundbreaking development of liquid rocket propellants. Authored by John Drury Clark, a leading scientist and sci-fi writer, this book offers a rare insider’s perspective on the chemistry, politics, and innovation that propelled humanity into space. Combining technical depth with engaging memoir-style narration, it’s a must-have for professionals and enthusiasts eager to understand the science and history behind space exploration’s most volatile fuels. ## Description A classic work in the history of science. Readers will want to get their hands on this influential classic, available for the first time in decades. This newly reissued debut book in the Rutgers University Press Classics imprint is the story of the search for a rocket propellant which could be trusted to take man into space. This search was a hazardous enterprise carried out by rival labs who worked against the known laws of nature, with no guarantee of success or safety. Acclaimed scientist and sci-fi author John Drury Clark writes with irreverent and eyewitness immediacy about the development of the explosive fuels strong enough to negate the relentless restraints of gravity. The resulting volume is as much a memoir as a work of history, sharing a behind-the-scenes view of an enterprise which eventually took men to the moon, missiles to the planets, and satellites to outer space. Review: Amusing, highly technical book by one of the people doing it - and surviving - The author is clearly one of the people at the forefront of this research - highly specialised as it was - for a period of many decades. His narration - and it is really a narration of What We Did And When - style is highly amusing and accessible. He writes almost as if he were giving a Plenary lecture right before the conference Reception. Some of the stories he tells are hilarious; some literally tragic in multiple horrific ways and some of squirming sales reps forced to make fools out of themselves because 'we need to pretend our product is special' but are talking to engineers that 'Know'. This is a complex subject with a lot of chemical names - and few structural diagrams except when the compounds got really crazy-weird as some did; perhaps this is for the best. Hence you will either need a really good memory for what 'UDMH' / 'IRFNA (red fuming nitric acid)' is - or consult the helpful glossary at the back (a lot). At one point I thought about copying the glossary onto separate sheets for quick consultation. Higher education in Chemistry helps...though only do much as the chemistry is so specialist you either know it very specifically or little more than anything you learned about the reactivity scale of elements (Fluorine as the master) at school is going to help before you start reading. A lot of the challenges were physical (how to stop the fuel freezing at above -56C this being a military requirement for example) or how to get the fuel to 'light' smoothly and political (programs start; money is awarded; companies pile in, fashions change and interests move on to another program that starts). As the author states he expresses his own opinion. He does this fearlessly as one might expect from a person now retired from his senior position with many of his more incompetent - or simply unlucky - contemporaries dead (literally). I'll probably be sending this book out for Christmas presents to some of my more geeky friends in December 2019 having read it myself in 2018. Review: Excellent Book - A fascinating informal history of liquid fueled rocket propulsion, something that still does not go right as SpaceX found yesterday (21/4/2019). Having just read this book the reporting of the accident and fuel type made a lot more sense. Everyone's interest should be piqued by the statement at the beginning that the chemists and engineers that designed the liquid rocket fuels up the the early 70's when this was originally written were "beyond insane". It was certainly a hairy business, and one wonders what modern safe working practice would have accomplished in the time. However this work was undertaken in the darkest days of the cold war when there was a more complex balance of risks. The book uses a bit of inorganic chemistry to explain what happens, but nothing that someone that did chemistry to the British O level (taken at 16) 50 years ago cannot follow. For those not familiar with basic chemistry the book is still an interesting read and quite understandable if you skip the chemical equations. It is well worth reading, particularly, if like me, you have a geeky interest in all things to do with science, engineering and the military history of the cold war era. ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 61,515 in Stationery & Office Supplies ( See Top 100 in Stationery & Office Supplies ) 16 in History Curriculum Resources | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,660 Reviews | ## Images ![Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (Rutgers University Press Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81fDNrJvrKL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amusing, highly technical book by one of the people doing it - and surviving *by M***M on 11 January 2019* The author is clearly one of the people at the forefront of this research - highly specialised as it was - for a period of many decades. His narration - and it is really a narration of What We Did And When - style is highly amusing and accessible. He writes almost as if he were giving a Plenary lecture right before the conference Reception. Some of the stories he tells are hilarious; some literally tragic in multiple horrific ways and some of squirming sales reps forced to make fools out of themselves because 'we need to pretend our product is special' but are talking to engineers that 'Know'. This is a complex subject with a lot of chemical names - and few structural diagrams except when the compounds got really crazy-weird as some did; perhaps this is for the best. Hence you will either need a really good memory for what 'UDMH' / 'IRFNA (red fuming nitric acid)' is - or consult the helpful glossary at the back (a lot). At one point I thought about copying the glossary onto separate sheets for quick consultation. Higher education in Chemistry helps...though only do much as the chemistry is so specialist you either know it very specifically or little more than anything you learned about the reactivity scale of elements (Fluorine as the master) at school is going to help before you start reading. A lot of the challenges were physical (how to stop the fuel freezing at above -56C this being a military requirement for example) or how to get the fuel to 'light' smoothly and political (programs start; money is awarded; companies pile in, fashions change and interests move on to another program that starts). As the author states he expresses his own opinion. He does this fearlessly as one might expect from a person now retired from his senior position with many of his more incompetent - or simply unlucky - contemporaries dead (literally). I'll probably be sending this book out for Christmas presents to some of my more geeky friends in December 2019 having read it myself in 2018. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent Book *by D***T on 22 April 2019* A fascinating informal history of liquid fueled rocket propulsion, something that still does not go right as SpaceX found yesterday (21/4/2019). Having just read this book the reporting of the accident and fuel type made a lot more sense. Everyone's interest should be piqued by the statement at the beginning that the chemists and engineers that designed the liquid rocket fuels up the the early 70's when this was originally written were "beyond insane". It was certainly a hairy business, and one wonders what modern safe working practice would have accomplished in the time. However this work was undertaken in the darkest days of the cold war when there was a more complex balance of risks. The book uses a bit of inorganic chemistry to explain what happens, but nothing that someone that did chemistry to the British O level (taken at 16) 50 years ago cannot follow. For those not familiar with basic chemistry the book is still an interesting read and quite understandable if you skip the chemical equations. It is well worth reading, particularly, if like me, you have a geeky interest in all things to do with science, engineering and the military history of the cold war era. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A funny and informative book on the early days of rocket design and fuels *by W***N on 12 November 2020* This book is a surprisingly easy (and funny) read. There are sections of chemistry which, for a layman like me, are pretty impenetrable, but for the most part it is very approachable. Think of a real life, government funded, version of the Darwin awards. ## Frequently Bought Together - Ignition!: An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants (Rutgers University Press Classics) - Reentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age - Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sg/products/66687885-ignition-an-informal-history-of-liquid-rocket-propellants-rutgers-university](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/66687885-ignition-an-informal-history-of-liquid-rocket-propellants-rutgers-university) --- *Product available on Desertcart Singapore* *Store origin: SG* *Last updated: 2026-11-15*