Gurbir Singh's Books

India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

Stephen H Smith - Pigeon Mail to Rocket Mail

By: Gurbir Singh

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India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

Stephen H Smith - Pigeon Mail to Rocket Mail

By: Gurbir Singh

During 1934 and 1944 in Calcutta, Stephen Smith worked alone and unsupported on developing rocket transport. In 1935, he was the first to demonstrate the successful transport by a rocket of livestock, food and medicine. This book charts the story of Stephen H Smith, described by a contemporary as “the greatest one-man campaign for rocketry”. He dedicated his life to working alone in northeast India to develop a new revolutionary means of transport using only rocket power. The development of rockets in India is commonly understood to have ended with Tipu Sultan in 1799 and started again in 1963 with what is now called the Indian Space Research Organisation. However, in the intervening period, one man built and championed rockets, working alone in Calcutta. In 1925 he set up the Indian Air Mail Society, and it is amongst the global philatelic community where his work is still known but is almost entirely forgotten from the popular imagination in India. On 14 February 1891, Stephen H Smith, the only son of a tea plantation manager originally from Norfolk, England, was born in the Strawberry Hill region of Shillong. Between 1934 and 1944, he conducted over 200 rocket experiments to demonstrate the utility of a rocket as a means of transport. Small self-funded groups to develop rockets were established in USSR, USA, Britain, Australia and Germany. From these groups, Sergei Korolev and Wernher von Braun emerged and competed in the epic space race that resulted in Sputnik, Gagarin and Apollo 11. Stephen H Smith was their contemporary but worked alone and unsupported in India. Long after he had died, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the American Airmail Society in 1989. In 1992, a year after the centenary of his birth, the Indian government celebrated his achievements by issuing a stamp and a first-day cover dedicated to his work. Today his work is found in official NASA publications, the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society and the National Air and Space Museum. This new study of his contacts with the King of Sikkim, King George V, with a member of parliament in London and a 25-year-long correspondence with a Swiss philatelist reveals in his own words his struggle to attain recognition and support for his work. His reluctant attempt to work with the military authorities in India during World War II ended in frustration. His multiple attempts in 1949 to contact the Governor of Bengal and Prime Minister Nehru in the newly independent India failed to generate a response.

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182

Publisher

Astrotalkuk Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

1913617033

ISBN 13

9781913617035

The Indian Space Programme

India’s incredible journey from the Third World towards the First

By: Gurbir Singh

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The Indian Space Programme

India’s incredible journey from the Third World towards the First

By: Gurbir Singh

Fifty years in the making, India's Space Programme is fulfilling the vision of its founders and delivering services from space that touch the lives of 1.3 billion people every day. In addition to operating a collection of satellites for weather, Earth observation, navigation and communication today, India has a spacecraft orbiting Mars and a space telescope in Earth orbit. This book provides the big picture of India's long association with science, from historical figures like Aryabhata and Bhaskara to Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, the key architects of its space program. It covers the scientific contribution of Indian scientists during the European Enlightenment and industrial revolution. It traces the technological development of Tipu Sultan's use of rockets for war in the 1780s; the all-but-forgotten contribution of Stephen H Smith's use of rockets as a means of transport in 1935 in northern India; and the emergence of Sriharikota – India's spaceport, the heart of India's modern Space Programme. • A detailed account of how a fishing village in Kerala was transformed into a space centre and used to launch India's first rocket into space on 21 November 1963. • A detailed summary of India's space infrastructure – launch vehicles, deep space network, Telemetry, Tracking and Command and space assets in orbit. • Description of how the ordinary people of India benefit from the services delivered by the space programme • Why India chose to go to the Moon and Mars and how it got there. • The prospects for India's ambitions in space for human spaceflight, national security and scientific exploration • An analysis of how India's Space Programme may play out on the global stage. Will it compete or collaborate with China, USA and Russia in space? This detailed work, in 645 pages, 29 tables and 9 appendices, is richly illustrated with 140+ illustrations (some images published for the first time) and supported by over 1,000 references. It is written for the non-specialist, offering a big-picture view.

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507

Publisher

Astrotalkuk Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

0956933769

ISBN 13

9780956933768

Wealth Maximisation Through Smart Financial Literacy

By: Gurbir Singh Khera

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Wealth Maximisation Through Smart Financial Literacy

By: Gurbir Singh Khera

Discover how to master your finances and transform your future with "Wealth Maximization: Your Guide to Financial Mastery." This book is the ultimate roadmap that arms you with the practical tools and wisdom you need to accumulate, expand, and preserve wealth, even in the most unpredictable of times. Dive deep into the heart of finance with these pages, where you’ll untangle the essentials of juggling assets, tackling liabilities, and the magic of starting your investment journey early. Say goodbye to those pesky financial myths and hello to a mindset that’s all about growth, empowering you to learn non-stop and make choices with confidence. Get the lowdown on budgeting like a pro, especially when life throws you curveballs, and discover how tech can make keeping track of your finances a breeze. "Wealth Maximization" arms you with the real-deal tools and resources you need, like customizable templates that fit your life. Dive into handpicked online calculators and must-read recommendations to boost your financial smarts day by day.hether you're just starting your financial journey or looking to refine your strategies, "Wealth Maximization" is your go-to guide with actionable insights and exercises tailored to your needs. Take control of your financial destiny today. Open these pages and start your journey towards true wealth maximization.

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184

Publisher

Notion Press

Published Date

ISBN 13

9798894752518

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

By: Gurbir Singh

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Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

By: Gurbir Singh

The first human spaceflight on 12th April 1961 shocked the West and made cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin the most famous person on the planet. As one of human civilisation’s seminal accomplishments, it was borne out of technology designed for weapons of mass destruction. Following the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the Soviet Union charged headlong into the exploration of the Moon, Venus and Mars, demonstrating and honing their weapons of war in the name of science. Three months after his flight, still the only person to have been in Earth orbit, he came to Britain. Declassified confidential and secret government documents reveal for the first time the frantic diplomatic efforts to achieve a balance between celebrating one of humanity’s greatest achievements whilst grappling with the political dynamite of the unprecedented propaganda opportunity of a Soviet air force Major’s success being celebrated, first by the Prime Minister and then by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Chronicled for the first time in these pages are the personal recollections, including never before published pictures, from people in Manchester and London of the impact of this handsome, charismatic cosmonaut who captured the hearts of ordinary working people in Britain. With an engaging permanent smile, this unassuming diminutive Major brought hope to a world at the brink of thermonuclear war. For many in Britain during the coldest days of the Cold War, this cosmonaut was the only Russian they would ever see.

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Page Count

189

Publisher

Astrotalkuk Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

0956933726

ISBN 13

9780956933720

The Homecoming Gods

By: Gurbir Singh

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The Homecoming Gods

By: Gurbir Singh

During an extraordinary time of crises for a nation on the verge of partition, three unusual characters from diverse backgrounds develop a persuasive connection with each other. A lovesick high school boy, an unenthusiastic former clerk and an oddball schoolteacher together attempt to defeat a small town's animated fears through their slapdash writings to newsprint, with phoney identities. Two fresh faces attempt to discern the complexities of love through the missing spousal equations between their parents. Set in the small town of Mardan in the North-West Frontier Province of British India in March 1947, this dark comedy deals with unpretentious stories of a mix-up between everyday folks, and a juvenile's account of vehemence in turbulent times, and his efforts to trace out histories for reflections. A safe escape to Kurukshetra in India on the posh train, 'The Frontier Mail' in a windy night amidst vicious rioting outside, presents him with a hallucinatory panorama of pre-settlements, and a teeny past of a few centuries that offers little solution to the predicament of a period that saw a million killed, and ten millions displaced in the wake of two independences.

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Zonton Books

ISBN 10

9389744288

ISBN 13

9789389744286

The Indian Space Programme

India’s incredible journey from the Third World towards the First

By: Gurbir Singh

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The Indian Space Programme

India’s incredible journey from the Third World towards the First

By: Gurbir Singh

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507

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Astrotalkuk Publications

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ISBN 10

0956933769

ISBN 13

9780956933768

Wealth Maximisation Through Smart Financial Literacy

By: Gurbir Singh Khera

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Wealth Maximisation Through Smart Financial Literacy

By: Gurbir Singh Khera

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184

Publisher

Notion Press

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ISBN 13

9798894752518

My Personal History of The British Interplanetary Society 1933 - 1937 Liverpool

By: Leslie Johnson,Pam Reid,Gurbir Singh

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My Personal History of The British Interplanetary Society 1933 - 1937 Liverpool

By: Leslie Johnson,Pam Reid,Gurbir Singh

This is the story of the founding of the British Interplanetary Society in Liverpool in 1933 before it moved to London in 1937. It is the personal meticulous recollection of Leslie J Johnson, who was the BIS's first Hon. Secretary, but later its treasurer, editor of the bulletin and the journal and a vice president. Published for the first time, I wrote this manuscript using a rich source material comprising thousands of handwritten letters. As the hon. secretary he was the first contact for many now-familiar names including a teenage Arthur C Clarke in 1933, and Dr W Olaf Stapledon a professor at Liverpool University, writers Eric Frank Russell, Walter H Gillings, Edward John Carnell, Stephen Smith, a rocket mail experimenter in India and Herr Willy Ley, a rocket engineer from Germany. Many who joined the BIS had an interest in reading and writing science fiction, including Johnson himself. One of his earliest stories, "Satellites of Death" was published in 1938, two decades before the launch of Sputnik. The first passenger railway, military submarine and programmable computer emerged for the very first time in the northwest of England. It was from this generation that gifted and visionary individuals came in pursuit of the idea and ideals of interplanetary space travel. Similar societies were founded around the world at about the same time, but only the BIS continues to the present day contributing to British space policy and innovative ideas for spaceflight for communication satellites, human spaceflight and interstellar travel. As the BIS approaches its 90th year, it can celebrate some momentous achievements, including being a founding member in 1950 of the International Astronautical Federation that is now seen as the global premier body that binds the international space community with annual conferences in major cities around the world. Leslie Johnson wrote this manuscript between 1974 and 1979. It records the BIS story during the Liverpool years. It includes his reflections on a dream realised - the landing on the Moon of Apollo 11 in July 1969.

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ISBN 10

1913617122

ISBN 13

9781913617127

India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

Stephen H Smith - Pigeon Mail to Rocket Mail

By: Gurbir Singh

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India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

Stephen H Smith - Pigeon Mail to Rocket Mail

By: Gurbir Singh

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182

Publisher

Astrotalkuk Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

1913617033

ISBN 13

9781913617035

The Homecoming Gods

By: Gurbir Singh

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The Homecoming Gods

By: Gurbir Singh

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Zonton Books

ISBN 10

9389744288

ISBN 13

9789389744286

Diaspora Poetics and Homing in South Asian Women's Writing

Beyond Trishanku

By: Shilpa Daithota Bhat

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Diaspora Poetics and Homing in South Asian Women's Writing

Beyond Trishanku

By: Shilpa Daithota Bhat

This anthology of essays, deliberates chiefly on the notion of locating home through the lens of the mythical idea of Trishanku, implying in-between space and homing, in diaspora women’s narratives, associated with the South Asian region. The idea of in-between space has been used differently in various cultures but gesture prominently on the connotation of ‘hanging’ between worlds. Historically, imperialism and the indentured/ ‘grimit’ system, triggered dispersal of labourers to the various colonies of the British. Of course, this was not the only cause of international migratory processes. The partition of India and Pakistan led to large scale migration. There was Punjabi migration to Canada. Several Indians, particularly the Gujaratis travelled to Africa for business reasons. South Indians travelled to the Gulf for employment. There were migrations to East Asian countries under the kangani system. Again, these were not the only reasons. The process of demographic movement from South Asia, has been complex due to innumerable push-pull factors. The subsequent generations of migrants included the twice, thrice (and likewise) displaced members of the diaspora. Racial denigration and Orientalist perceptions plagued their lives. They belonged to various ethnicities and races, inhabited marginalized spaces and strived to acculturate in the host society. Complete cultural assimilation was not possible, creating layered and hyphenated identities. These intricate social processes resulted in amalgamation and cross-pollination of cultures, inter-racial relationships and hybridization in all terrains of culture—language, music, fashion, cuisine and so on. Situated in this matrix was the notion of Home—a special personal space which an individual could feel as belonging to, very strongly. Nostalgia, loss of home, culture shock and interracial encounters problematized this discernment of belongingness and home. These multifarious themes have been captured by women writers from the South Asian region and this book looks at the various aspects related to negotiating home in their narratives.

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Page Count

203

Publisher

Lexington Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1498577636

ISBN 13

9781498577632

My Personal History of The British Interplanetary Society

Liverpool 1933 to 1937

By: Leslie Johnson

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My Personal History of The British Interplanetary Society

Liverpool 1933 to 1937

By: Leslie Johnson

This is the story of the founding of the British Interplanetary Society Liverpool in 1933 before it relocated to London in 1937. It is the personal meticulous recollection of Leslie J Johnson who was the BIS’s First Hon. Secretary but later its treasurer, editor of the bulletin and the journal and a vice president. Published for the first time, this manuscript was written using a manual typewritten and rich first-hand source material consisting of thousands of handwritten letters. As the Hon. secretary, he was the first contact for many now familiar names, including a teenage Arthur C Clarke in 1933, and from Dr W Olaf Stapledon, a professor at Liverpool University, writers EF Russell, Walter H Gillings, Edward John Carnell, Stephen Smith, a rocket mail experimenter in India, Herr Will Ley, a rocket engineer from Germany. Many who joined the BIS were interested in reading and writing science fiction, including Johnson. One of his earliest stories, “Satellites of Death”, was published in 1938, two decades before the launch of Sputnik. The first passenger railway, military submarine and programable computer emerged in the Northwest of England for the first time. It was from this generation that gifted and visionary individuals emerged in pursuit of the idea and ideals of interplanetary space travel. Similar societies were founded around the world at about the same time but only the BIS continues to the present day contributing to British space policy and innovative ideas for spaceflight for communication satellites, human spaceflight and interstellar travel. As the BIS approaches its 90th year, it can celebrate some momentous achievements, including being a founding member in 1950 of the International Astronautical Federation which is now seen as the global premier body that binds the international space community.

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Page Count

222

Publisher

Astrotalkuk Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

1913617084

ISBN 13

9781913617080

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

By: Gurbir Singh

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Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

By: Gurbir Singh

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189

Publisher

Astrotalkuk Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

0956933726

ISBN 13

9780956933720

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

A Smile That Changed the World?

By: Gurbir Singh (Writer)

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Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

A Smile That Changed the World?

By: Gurbir Singh (Writer)

Three months after [Yuri Gagarin's] flight, still the only person to have been in Earth orbit, he came to Britain. Declassified confidential and secret government documents reveal for the first time the frantic diplomatic efforts to achieve a balance between celebrating one of humanity's greatest achievements whilst grappling with the political dynamite of the unprecedented propaganda opportunity of a Soviet air force major's success being celebrated first by the Prime Minister and by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Chronicled for the first time in these pages are the personal recollections, including never before published pictures, from people in Manchester and London of the impact of this handsome, charismatic cosmonaut who captured the hearts of ordinary working people in Britain. This unassuming diminutive major with an engaging permanent smile brought hope to a world at the brink of thermonuclear war. For many in Britain during the coldest days of the Cold War, this cosmonaut was the only Russian they would ever see."--p. [4] of cover.

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

175

Published Date

ISBN 10

095693370X

ISBN 13

9780956933706

Book's by Gurbir Singh

India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

The Indian Space Programme

The Indian Space Programme

Wealth Maximisation Through Smart Financial Literacy

Wealth Maximisation Through Smart Financial Literacy

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

The Homecoming Gods

The Homecoming Gods

The Indian Space Programme

The Indian Space Programme

Wealth Maximisation Through Smart Financial Literacy

Wealth Maximisation Through Smart Financial Literacy

My Personal History of The British Interplanetary Society 1933 - 1937 Liverpool

My Personal History of The British Interplanetary Society 1933 - 1937 Liverpool

India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

India’s Forgotten Rocket Pioneer

The Homecoming Gods

The Homecoming Gods

Diaspora Poetics and Homing in South Asian Women's Writing

Diaspora Poetics and Homing in South Asian Women's Writing

My Personal History of The British Interplanetary Society

My Personal History of The British Interplanetary Society

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester

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