By Dan Pimentel,

Airplanista Blog Editor

In this continuing series of book reviews from Zenith Press, this week I am reviewing and giving away a copy of Piers Bizony's exceptional work, New Space Frontiers - Venturing Into Earth Orbit and Beyond.

Bizony sets the stage by saying "It is easy to imagine that when NASA's Space Shuttle retired from active service in 2011, the Space Age also drew to a close. In fact, today there are more people-carrying spacecraft being constructed than at any time since Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space more than fifty years ago."

His New Space Frontiers is another high-quality book from Zenith Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA in Minneapolis. Just like every one of the books I have recently reviewed from Zenith Press, this one also has gorgeous historical imagery to accompany a very well-researched work. Like I have said of all these Zenith books, the "hand" is superb, high-end offset printing on thick glossy stock. When it comes to printing on real printing presses, it can be tricky optimizing images, and it is clear that in this workflow, someone is well-versed in the intricacies of RGB-to-CMYK image conversions. This happens to be a specialty of mine, and I can spot amateur hour a mile away. It is clear this book was produced by professionals who know their way around the optimization tools available in Photoshop.

Bizony starts with a chapter called Escape From Planet Earth, which discusses the development of new hardware and business models to exploit access to low Earth orbit. Subsequent chapters are Islands in The Sky which talks about space stations now and in the future, Destination Moon, which covers what may become of this space destination only three flight days away, and Across The Gulf of Stars, a chapter that discuses interplanetary space flight, and how new developments in physics could turn this fantasy into reality.

If you wish to get this book for yourself, the best place to buy it is Amazon. Zenith is also again allowing me to give a copy of this very nice book away, so if you want to win a free copy shipped directly to you, answer the simple question below to enter. I will announce the winner on Friday, April 22.