John M. Logsdon

Better-written than Heppenheimer's shuttle history but lighter on technical details. Creates a persuasive profile of Nixon's thinking (or lack thereof) on the space program. For Heppenheimer, Nixon was a peripheral player. For Lodgson, Nixon Absconditus is ever-present,

Lodgson rules that the shuttle can be viewed as a success if the goal was a space program stripped of all ambition to push the envelope as the NASA of Kennedy and Johnson had done.

Volumes I, II, AND III

Very interesting account of the technology struggles to develop reliable orbital reconnaisance with the Corona program. Covers the complexity of the entire system built around reconnaisance, not just the rockets and satellites. This book also touches on some of the political overtones of the cold war, especially how America allocated resources and spending during the height of the cold war.