Writing Theory

[Paul Mackin]

On Mon, 28 Feb 2000, Mark Wright AIA wrote:

> Howdy
> 
> I believe that GR must have existed, in embryo at least, before V was
> put into its final form.  How else to explain all the splendid GR
> V-material which P avoided using up in "V"?  Evidence of the old
> glazzies, droogie...  

Good one, Mark, even though I suppose there must be a virtually infinite
amount of potential V-material out there for the taking. The V-2 as a
specific symbol might not have been all that obvious at the time of V. P
had his future work cut out for him in bringing that old parabolic shape
in the sky into existence. In itself the V-2 was not very significant in
causing human, moral or material damage on the enemy. Not as much even as
the V-1, say. Where the rocket program was important as far a the war was
concerned was in pulling resources away from other war production thus
contributing to an earlier than otherwise German defeat. Not very
dramatic in itself. The Human cost of the rocket program was in the
rocket's production--the slave labor utilization. The Dora connection in
other words.  But to conceive of this aspect even in embryo would have
required much research. Source material like Speer and Irving wouldn't
have been available as early as V. publication. The technical stuff from
Dornberger would have been available of course. But hard to imagine any
kind of visualization of the central core of the book that far back for me
anyway. 

Of course I could be wrong.

				P.