The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

Cyrano de Bergerac, Savinien de (1619–1655)
French writer whose works combine political satire and
fantasy. He is most familiar in modern times from the
1897 novel Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand,
which describes him as being gallant and brilliant but
ugly with a large nose. As a young man, Cyrano joined
the company of guards but was wounded at the siege of
Arras in 1640 and retired from military life. He then
studied under the philosopher and mathematician
Pierre Gassendi, who had a significant influence on
him. In his Histoire des Etats et Empires de la Lune (History
CZ (Chang Zeng) 95
of the States and Empires of the Moon), published
posthumously in 1657, followed in 1662 by Histoire des
Etats et Empires du Soleil (History of the States and
Empires of the Sun), both eventually collected as L’Autre
Monde (Other Worlds), 69 Cyrano developed the concepts
of rocket power and two-stage rockets. His
account is the first description of a manned rocket flight
in literature. 70
CZ (Chang Zeng)
See Long March.