First published by NASA in 2000 as Challenge to Apollo , this is the first of two dense volumes offering a comprehensive history of the former Soviet-manned space programs. Siddiqui (Carnegie Mellon U.) breaks through the rumors and speculation surrounding a space program once shrouded in secrecy by using Russian-language sources and interviews with veterans to weave together the technical, political, and personal stories of the Soviet space program. The volume's 11 chapters span the origins of the Soviet program in the 1800s, through the death of chief designer Korolev in 1966. The story continues in the companion volume titled The Soviet Space Race with Apollo . Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)