This beautiful book tells the complete story of Indian rocket pioneer Stephen Smith. Markand describes the rockets used by Stephen Smith and the places where they were launched, but also provides a very detailed study of the rocket labels, illustrations and watermarks.

This is followed by 13 chapters containing a very detailed account, with images of letters and labels, of the various rocket flights:

• the very first experiments at Saugor Island - 1934
• the night firings at Saugor Island - 1934
• the Calcutta Press rocket firing, Dhakuria - 1935
• the Royal Silver Jublee firing - 1935
• the first Sikkim series - 1935
• charity, livestock and parcel experiments - 1935
• the second Sikkim series
• the 1936 experiments : telescopic rockets
• the Scouts Jamboree, Delhi - 1937
• the Coronation experiments - 1937
• the rocket train experiments - 1937
• the experiments - 1938
• the War rockets

At the end of this wonderful book, Markand devotes another five pages to the two Indian astronauts, Rakesh Sharma (1984) and Subhanshu Shukla (2005).

Review: SB

The second part of the complete story of Indian rocket pioneer Stephen Smith. Markand describes the rockets used by Stephen Smith and the places where they were launched, but also provides a very detailed study of the rocket labels, illustrations and watermarks.

This is followed by the same 13 chapters as in part 1, but now containing all new material as sheets and cards from the colection of S. Smith..

At the end of this wonderful book, Markand devotes another fifty pages to Lady Ezra's Collection and 30 pages on the Stephen Smith's Collection.

Review: SB