The Dark Side of the Moon by Wayne Biddle is a very compelling, intriguing detailed book entailing political propaganda, with German Nazi heritage to futuristic knowledge combined with scientific credibility and hypothetical theories about Romanticism during the Second World War.
Biddle encapsulates the readers into bringing back the dark truths of history evolving around the Nazi Regime and talks a lot about seizing political power e.g. Socialist movements, communist power seized from Hitler's armies, the bourgeoisie movement etc.
I particularly liked the photos printed because the readers can visualize the scientific impacts Astronomy played in history during the crucial wartime.
For example one of the photos showed a group of rocket scientist enthusiasts Space Flight inventions back in the 1930's in Berlin so the readers can compare the space flight technology we have today to the inventions they used back seventy decades ago.
I also found the maps intriguing as it showed German War fronts and the International Borders.
I think Biddle gave the readers a real insight where Germany's enemies were and what the country was like in 1933 compared to how it is now in the 21st Century.
In the book Biddle highlights a very famous historical figure German non-political Scientist Wernher Von Braun and he talks about Von Braun's transition stages from a Scientist to being a SS officer and German Patriot, Biddle also shows many photos of Von Braun shaking hands with President John F. Kennedy at the Space Flight Centre in 1962 and redeveloping rocket models for the US Army in 1995 to show he was an important scientist during that time.
Von Braun surrendered to American forces shortly before World War II ended, subsequently moving to the United States to assist scientific efforts there. When later asked about his role in developing and producing the V-2 rockets used against Allied forces, von Braun said his focus was solely space travel.
But on the basis of declassified archival material and interviews with survivors of the Nazi labor camp where these rockets were produced, Biddle portrays von Braun as an opportunist who fully understood and accepted his orders to produce weapons, not spaceships. The scientist was also far more aware of atrocious conditions in the V-2 factory than he would later admit, Biddle contends.
Biddle richly details von Braun's youth and life during World War II and the bumpy road to the V-2's development. But Biddle fails to fully support one of his major points - that America's obsession with beating the Soviets in the space race allowed von Braun to whitewash his past association with the Nazis. Still, Biddle succeeds in creating a more nuanced portrait of an American space "hero" and forcing the reader to contemplate scientists' ethical responsibilities.
Overall this book enables readers to understand the complex intricacies of Von Braun's mentality as well as the scientific issues involved, it also makes the readers think that science did play a huge impact with the war.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in social Sciences, History, Media, Philosophy and Science in general as the Dark Side of the Moon combines all of the subjects in one.
