Beginning in China in 70 B.C., this fascinating history chronicles the development of rockets from gunpowder-filled sticks of bamboo to interstellar commercial satellites. In particular, the story of American Robert Goddard is traced as he led the group of 20th-century space enthusiasts who realized that rockets would provide the key to early space exploration. Also included are the contributions to rocket evolution of rugged New York stuntmen, rangy Australian kangaroos, and a nudist New Zealand physicist.