William Addis, University of Reading, UK Sergio Luis Sanabria, David T. Yeomans, J. Kerisel, Denis Smith, R.F.D. Porter Goff, Ralph B. Peck, Otto G. von Simson, Rowland J. Mainstone, Stanley B. Hamilton, A.W. Skempton, L. G. Booth, R.J.M. Sutherland, A. Rupert Hall, A.J.S. Pippard, Stanley Smith, Henry J. Cowan, Henry Petroski, D.I. Blockley, J.R. Henderson, William Addis.

'The aim of Ashgate's twelve volume series is to bring together collections of important papers on particular topics from scholarly journals, conference proceedings and other hard-to-access sources. This is a wholly laudable objective. Some of the papers in the volume under review [The Civil Engineering of Canals and Railways before 1850] cannot be found even in abundantly-resourced academic libraries. The series opens up, directly or indirectly, debates over the nature of historical evidence which arise from the profoundly different approaches to the past of historians of technology, whose works are principally represented in these volumes, industrial archaeologists and social and economic historians.' Industrial Archaeology Review, Vol. XXI, No. 1 ’...an interesting volume which contains a great deal of material not generally familiar...' Architectural Science Review, Australia vol. 43, no. 4 'I thoroughly recommend having a browse through the various volumes, especially if, like me, you are involved with some of the older buildings, bridges and other structures. It has given me a new appreciation of the skill and judgement of these early engineers.' The Structural Engineer

• Contents: Introduction; Design Rules and Methods: The mechanisation of design in the 16th century: the structural formulae of Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, Sergio Luis Sanabria; Designing the beam: from rules of thumb to calculations, David T. Yeomans; History of retaining wall design, J. Kerisel; The use of models in nineteenth-century British suspension bridge design, Denis Smith; Brunel and the design of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, R.F.D. Porter Goff; History of building foundations in Chicago, Ralph B. Peck; Theoretical Justification in Design: The Gothic cathedral: design and meaning, Otto G. von Simson; Stability concepts from the Renaissance to today, Rowland J. Mainstone; The place of Sir Christopher Wren in the history of structural engineering, Stanley B. Hamilton; The origin of iron beams, A.W. Skempton; Thomas Tredgold (1788-1829): some aspects of his work (part 2: carpentry), L. G. Booth; Thomas Tredgold (1788-1829): some aspects of his work (part 3: cast iron), R.J.M. Sutherland; The birth of stress: a historical review, R.J.M. Sutherland; Progress in Engineering Design: The genesis of engineering: theory and practice, A. Rupert Hall; The functions of engineering research in the university, A.J.S. Pippard; The design of structural ironwork, 1850-1890: education, theory and practice, Stanley Smith; Structural design by observation of failures: how the Gothic master masons determined the dimensions of their structures, Henry J. Cowan; The Britannia Tubular Bridge: a paradigm of failure driven design, Henry Petroski; Structural failures and the growth of engineering knowledge, D.I. Blockley and J.R. Henderson; The evolution of structural engineering design procedures: a history for that skill called design, William Addis; Index.