Rocket Man, by David A. Clary, is an excellent review of the life of Robert H Goddard. Clary provides new insights into the personality and work ethic of this enigmatic genius. He correctly points out that Goddard's contributions to rocketry have taken on legendary proportions and have been manipulated over the years by several driving forces. Not the least of these forces is that, following the launch of the first artificial earth satellite, Sputnik I (launched by the Soviet Union in 1957) Americans wanted to be reassured that America had a viable pioneer in the field of rocketry.
The pre-eminence of the Russian space program and the German rocket pioneer, Werner von Braun (architect of the Saturn V rocket that took man to the moon) tended to overshadow virtually all other experimenters who contributed to the development of rocketry in the 20th century.
While Clary's book is a scholarly effort, with significant research and an impressive bibliography, he tends to emphasize (chapter after chapter) that Goddard himself was dominated by the desire to ensure that he would be remembered as the father, not only of rocketry, but all, or many of, the innovations necessary to make rocketry possible.
Clary also notes that Goddard was not above making efforts to feather his nest to ensure financial security and intimates on several occasions, possible improprieties in his conduct. This emphasis tends to detract from the credibility of the book because of his constant referrals to it.
While these aspects of Goddard may be true, it is necessary for us to keep into focus that this man was not simply a theorist as previous notables were, but a practical experimenter who was the first to demonstrate that the liquid fuel rocket was not only possible, but a viable means of achieving extreme altitudes. If there is any lapse in the book's content, it may be that several of the innovations that Goddard pioneered (such as regenerative cooling of the rocket engine, a significant step in achieving the ability to burn propellants at high temperatures in a combustion chamber) were not pursued.
It is interesting to note the parallels between the Wright brothers and Goddard when it came to marketing their invention. Both seem to lose track of the engineering aspects of their work and became mired in the marketing aspects, for which neither were prepared. As a result, each was overshadowed by technology advances from other inventors.
Clary's book is certainly a positive addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of the space age but it must be read with the caveats noted.