Gumilevsky, L. Gustaf de Laval (Gustav Laval), 1936. In Russian.

Гумилевский Л. Густав Лаваль.
Москва : Журнально-газетное объединение (Жургаз), 1936.
256 с. : ил. Мягкая издательская обложка, уменьшенный формат. (Серия: Жизнь замечательных людей, вып. 7 (97)). Обложка Г. С. Бершадского, гравюра А. М. Критской.
***
Gumilevsky, L. Gustaf de Laval (Gustav Laval).
Moscow : Journal and Newspaper Association (Zhurgaz), 1936.
256 pp. : ill. Softcover, small format. (Series: Lives of Remarkable People, issue 7 (97)). Cover by G. S. Bershadsky, woodcut by A. M. Kritskaya.

This 1936 biography is a fascinating artifact from the early years of the revived "Lives of Remarkable People" (ZhZL) series, founded by Maxim Gorky. Written by Lev Gumilevsky, a master of technical biography, the book focuses on the brilliant Swedish engineer Gustaf de Laval (1845–1913), whose inventions revolutionized both the energy and dairy industries during the late 19th century.
Gumilevsky details the dramatic history of Laval's most significant breakthroughs, most notably the convergent-divergent nozzle (now known as the De Laval nozzle). This invention allowed steam to reach supersonic speeds, laying the foundations for the modern impulse steam turbine and, eventually, rocket propulsion. The book also covers Laval's equally impactful development of the centrifugal cream separator, a device that fundamentally transformed agriculture by automating the separation of milk and cream.
The aesthetic of the volume is characteristic of the mid-1930s Soviet book design. The cover, created by G. S. Bershadsky, reflects the industrial optimism of the era, while the portrait of Laval is a fine woodcut engraving by A. M. Kritskaya. Gumilevsky's narrative skillfully blends technical precision with the human drama of an inventor who founded over 37 companies but often struggled with the financial volatility of his visionary projects.
As an early ZhZL issue in its original softcover format, this book is a significant collectable for those interested in the history of science and technology, as well as the evolution of Soviet biographical literature.