The Wrong Stuff Audiobook By John Strausbaugh cover art

The Wrong Stuff

How the Soviet Space Program Crashed and Burned

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The Wrong Stuff

By: John Strausbaugh
Narrated by: LJ Ganser
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About this listen

A witty, deeply researched history of the surprisingly ramshackle Soviet space program, and how its success was more spin than science.

In the wake of World War II, with America ascendant and the Soviet Union devastated by the conflict, the Space Race should have been over before it started. But the underdog Soviets scored a series of victories—starting with the 1957 launch of Sputnik and continuing in the years following--that seemed to achieve the impossible. It was proof, it seemed, that the USSR had manpower and collective will that went beyond America's material advantages. They had asserted themselves as a world power.

But in The Wrong Stuff, John Strausbaugh tells a different story. These achievements were amazing, yes, but they were also PR victories as much as scientific ones. The world saw a Potemkin spaceport; the internal facts were much sloppier, less impressive, more dysfunctional. The Soviet supply chain was a disaster, and many of its machines barely worked. The cosmonauts aboard its iconic launch of the Vostok 1 rocket had to go on a special diet, and take off their space suits, just to fit inside without causing a failure. Soviet scientists, under intense government pressure, had essentially made their rocket out of spit and band aids, and hurried to hide their work as soon as their worldwide demonstration was complete.

With a witty eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, John Strausbaugh takes us behind the Iron Curtain, and shows just how little there was to find there.

©2024 John Strausbaugh (P)2024 PublicAffairs
Aeronautics & Astronautics Astronomy & Space Science History History & Culture Science Soviet Union Inspiring

Critic reviews

“Strausbaugh’s droll sense of humor fits well with this examination of the Soviet space program… [He] clearly enjoyed writing this entertaining book, an accessible, engaging story about an era that, for better or worse, is nearly forgotten.”—Kirkus

Sarcastic Humor • Thorough History • Insightful Anecdotes • Enlightening Facts • Comparative Perspective
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a very interesting and easy listen that leaves you hanging on every word and detail

love it

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an excellent review of the Soviet and US relationships in context with emphasis on the US and Soviet space programs. I enjoyed it very much, and would recommend it anyone who needs or wants a review of this material

Excellent and entertaining

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As a child I experience the entire United States space program with great interest, mostly because my father was involved in both the Mercury and Apollo programs. So, listen to such a thorough and concise history of the Soviet Union's space program was quite enlightening.

Excellent Historical Account

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Excellent review of the Soviet space program. Very entertaining and well narrated. Would recommend it to anyone interested in this subject.

The right book

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The narrator performed amazingly and made my audible experience very joyful which in turn made my daily commute to & from work very joyful.
The book is well written and chock full of wonderful anecdotes and historic facts of the Russian space program. I’ve always followed the USA space program and this book marches through the space race comparing the two. I completely enjoyed it. Author John Straupsbaugh nailed it! Narrator LJ Ganser brought it to life!
I will look for more audiobooks from either one of these talented individuals.

The Wrong Stuff - it’s a hoot!

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Narrator was excellent. The Soviet Union was not.

Found myself laughing quite a bit, but the book still has its somber moments. I will do a vodka toast to all the dead Cosmonauts and workers who died because of Russian ineptitude. The wrong stuff indeed.

Perfection

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Scary, but not a surprise of the façade the USSR presented. Lives & families were destroyed for the space race…..

Vodka, leisure suits & lack of compassion for all living things!

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very enjoyable; great writing; wonderfully read. you will enjoy this selection. I encourage you to listen to it

highly entertaining

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I really liked the sarcastic humor of the tragic story, despite the popr conditions, popr equipment, the cosmonauts didnt lose their sense of humor.

Interesting and Entertaining

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The true story of how the Russians space program worked and mostly not worked. The book made me sorry of the people who just wanted to go too space.

Scary how they made it too space

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