Countdown to Launch!

Countdown to Launch! Rockets, Computers, and Coming of Age in the Cold War

Author: Ralph L. Hollis, Jr.

Description:

Countdown to Launch! is a gripping Cold War memoir that follows Ralph L. Hollis, Jr. from his boyhood experiments with homemade rockets to his pivotal role in America’s nuclear deterrent. In the shadow of Soviet threats, a young rocketeer and his friends risk failure to launch a science project near Boeing Wichita, while his passion for rocketry and computing grows through high school and college.

As Hollis struggles with personal challenges and the demands of academia, he finds himself at the forefront of U.S. defense technology. Working at North American Aviation, he designs software for the Minuteman III ICBM program—America’s answer to the Soviet Union’s growing missile arsenal. With both national security and personal resilience at stake, his story blends innovation, hardship, and perseverance during one of the most perilous eras in modern history.

Key Features

• Written by Ralph L. Hollis, Jr.
• A compelling memoir of science, rocketry, and the Cold War
• Traces the author’s journey from childhood rocket launches to critical defense software design
• Provides insight into early digital computers and their role in missile development
• Blends personal triumphs and struggles with global stakes during the Cold War
• Softcover | 274 pages | ISBN: 979-8990368606