BOOK. SOVIET MAN IN SPACE - USSR, 1961. An absolute classic of Space achievement and the officially recognized publication (in the English language) by the Soviet government to and for the soviet people to celebrate the first manned flight into the region of space by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on the 12 April 1961, aboard a Vostok 1 spacecraft. This work is a first edition published by the Foreign Languages Publishing House, Moscow. The book is illustrated with various original photos and reveals the preparations of this first historic flight as well as an insight into the post-flight celebrations by the people of Russia. Many of the writings in this classic will be read for the first time by Space enthusiasts and much of the book is written by Gagarin himself. Yuri Gagarin became a national hero on his successful return to earth. He was promoted to the command of the Soviet cosmonaut program and was training to return to space with the first Soyuz missions when he was tragically killed in the crash of a MiG-15UTI training jet in March 1968. An informative and educative must-read for anyone interested in the history of Space exploration from the Cold War perspective.This book has some scuffs and is quite worn but it remains a true classic in its field. Another first edition was recently a museum artifact housed in the Science Museum of London until it was later transferred to the Victoria Museum.