This is the story of the Atlas rocket, America's first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), and workhorse of the civil and military space programs since the late 1950s. Written by Chuck Walker, a participant in the Atlas program starting in 1953. The book is divided into two parts. The first part covers the military career of Atlas from conception through to the costly development and deployment of the weapon system at bases scattered throughout the United States.
The second part of the book relates to the role of Atlas in Americas space programs from the late 1950s to the present day. The Project Mercury manned space flights with Atlas are also covered in detail. Biographies of prominent Atlas managers and the contributors to this book are also included.
