Lewis, Jonathan E. Spy Capitalism: Itek and the CIA. New Haven, CT, and London: Yale University Press, 2002. Lewis, Jonathan E. Spy Capitalism: Itek and the CIA. New Haven, CT, and London: Yale University Press, 2002.
Day, IJI&C 16.1, finds that the author "definitely did his homework for this impressive book, a history of the creation of Itek, the company that built the cameras for the very successful CORONA reconnaissance satellite program during the 1960s.... Lewis approaches his subject both from a business and an intelligence perspective, a truly unique combination.... Spy Capitalism is a major addition to the literature on intelligence."
For Robarge, Studies 47.1, Lewis "writes in clear, although occasionally choppy, prose that is free from business jargon."
Haines, Diplomatic History 28.3, points to the unique perspective presented in this work. The author examines the technological "revolution in intelligence and the liaison between corporate America and government from the view of a corporate player, Itek, and its management team.... [T]he best part of Lewis's book is his description of the struggle for control and contracts for the follow-on system to CORONA."
McDonald, Robert A.,
ed. Corona -- Between the Earth and the Sun: The First NRO Reconnaissance
Eye in Space. Bethesda, MD: American Society for Photogrammetry and
Remote Sensing, 1997.
Richelson, IJI&C 11.4, finds that this book "is well-illustrated, both with respect to figures and photographs." While it "is an essential resource" for those conducting research on the history of CORONA, the book has some limitations. For example, the coverage of some topics is often "too short to adequately address the topic covered.... For many, some of the chapters ... will be simply too narrow or technical to be of much interest."
Oder, Frederic C.E., James C. Fitzpatrrick, and Paul E. Worthman. The Corona Story. Washington, DC: NRO, 1987.
Peebles, Curtis. The Corona Project: America's First Spy Satellites. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997.
For Richelson, IJI&C 11.4, Peebles' book "is essentially a chronological narrative that begins in the 1940s, traces the development of strategic reconnaissance, and then provides a competent, integrated account of the various aspects of CORONA's history." There are also two chapters that "examine photographic interpretation and cover case studies of the exploitation of satellite imagery." Peebles also discusses some still-classified systems. On the downside, the book gives the impression of using only a limited range of research materials. Additionally, some readers "may find" some of the footnoting "misleading and annoying."
Brugioni, IJI&C 11.4, finds the appendices that list significant data on all of the 145 Corona flights to be particularly valuable. The reviewer concludes that "The Corona Project deserves an honored place among all that has been written about the art and science of reconnaissance and photo interpretation."
Although Bates, NIPQ 15.2, suggests that descriptions of every Corona flight "may get a little tedious," he concludes that this is a "well documented definitive history of an ultimately highly successful reconnaissance program, important to intelligence history." Dunar, Choice, May 1998, also is bothered by the "relentless recapitulation of successive flights," but adds that "Peebles rescues his narrative with anecdotes about recovery crews..., and about the dramatic work of photo interpretation specialists."
Eliason, Air Power, 27 Jul. 1999 [http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil], comments that the author's "account gives the reader great insight into the long and difficult rise of our first space-based reconnaissance capabilities.... Peebles has woven together primary source documents recently declassified on Corona with first-person interviews and has then married this insider knowledge with leading historical texts on the early space period.... [The work] provides numerous examples of the impact that Corona photos had on our national decision making."
Peebles, Curtis. Guardians: Strategic Reconnaissance Satellites. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1987.
In a review of Richelson's America's Secret Eyes in Space, Fettig, IJI&C 4.4, comments that "Peebles covers all strategic reconnaissance satellites, both U.S. and Soviet, from the point of view of a historian of space exploration. [He] provides more technical coverage of satellites and systems" than Richelson's book.
Peake, AIJ 15.2, see Peebles as reviewing the U.S. satellite program "in non-technical detail supported by black and white pictures and mainly secondary sources. There are several chapters on the Soviet space satellite program which are the most detailed in book form.... Overall, Guardians provides a good introduction to the history of intelligence satellites."
Perry, Robert. A History of Satellite Reconaissance. Volume 5: Management of the National Reconnaissance Program, 1960-1965. Washington, DC: NRO, 1969.
Cited in Richelson, The Wizards of Langley (2002), 313/fn.75.
Perry, Robert L. Origins of the USAF Space Program, 1945-1956. Washington, DC: U.S. Air Force Systems Command, 1962.
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