The Making of a Soviet Scientist: My Adventures in Nuclear Fusion and Space From Stalin to Star Wars

As head of the Soviet Academy of Sciences' Space Research Institute from 1973-90, Sagdeev struggled to perform honest science amidst the powerful space barons and military-industrial tsars. In this riveting memoir, he chronicles the fights, rumors, and culture of Russia's military and space machine, providing insight into how the scientific community was hostage to politics. Describes the real reason why Sakharov was exiled to Gorky, how Gorbachev was deceived by the scientific and military-industrial complex, the deception during the Apollo-Soyuz joint U.S.-Soviet space flight, and much more.