Backyard Ballistics
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Backyard Ballistics
by Authors:
William Gurstelle
Released: 01 June, 2001
ISBN: 1556523750
Paperback
Sales Rank: 1,085
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List price:
$16.95
Our price:
$11.87
(You save: $5.08)
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| Book > Backyard Ballistics > Customer Reviews: |
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Average Customer Rating: 
Backyard Ballistics >
Customer Review #1:
Fantastic read, fun science, great projects
I loved this book. Whether you build these gadgets or not (and they are great gadgets, including the Potato Cannon, the Cincinnati Fire Kite, and the Hydro Pump Rocket), you will love the book. The author is funny and engaging, and he sprinkles entertaining bits of science and history into each chapter. I decided to build a few of the toys, and found that the instructions are excellent, clear, and simple, with great photos and diagrams.
Backyard Ballistics >
Customer Review #2:
KaBOOM!!!
This is a great resource book for pyromaniacs who want to expand their horizons.The highlight of this book is the chapter on the venerated potato cannon (a.k.a. spud gun). The author presents a simple yet effective design and gives detailed instructions on how to construct it. I have seen a number of designs on the web, and I prefer this for it parsimonious design. I have "launched" a number of spuds with this cannon, and am perfectly pleased with its operation. Other projects include back porch rocketry (the paper match rocket, the hydro pump rocket, and the pneumatic missile), the Cincinnati fire kite, the Greek fire and the catapult, the tennis ball mortar, the flinger, Pnewtons petard, the dry cleaning bag balloon, the carbide cannon, and the ballistic pendulum. The book is clearly written and illustrated (with drawings and black and white photographis). It contains a number of history vignettes along with some illustrations of ancient weapons. The remaining chapter includes some ideas for further study. While I highly recommend this book, please note that some of these projects (most notably the potato gun) are illegal in some states. In that case, this book would be for "reference" only.
Backyard Ballistics >
Customer Review #3:
Interesting and great fun
This is one of those ultimate guy books, fun for boys 8 to 80. It brought back memories of building similar devices in my youth, although I never built anything close to the diverse collection the author has brought together and describes in this interesting book. The book contains instructions and even troubleshooting suggestions for 12 different projects, ranging from a potato canon to Greek fire to the dry-cleaner bag balloon. I remember using a compound called Bangsite 40 years ago when I was a boy that was probably calcium carbide to build a primitive canon, and he was a similar one here.In addition to all the projects, the author does a fine job of providing a little education on the fine points of the history of many of these devices, and on some of the most important inventors in history. There are briref but very readable articles on Archimedes, Robert H. Goddard (the "father of rocketry"), Alfred Nobel, and others. A particularly interesting section is the one on the history of the catapult. The author details its use from 400 B.C. to the 15th century. For example, we learn that last successful use of the catapult (before it was replaced by canon) was at the Battle of Rhodes in 1480, and that 500 A.D. is the earliest recorded use of gravity-powered catapults or trebouchets in the Middle East. In 1191 Richard I (the "Lion-Hearted") participated in a hard-fought battle between the Franks and the Turks in which they battered each other with 300 catapults. And torsion engines were in widespread use in the Roman army by 50 A.D. In 1450, the canon supplanted the catapult throughout Europe and its long use in warfare came to an end. There are also interesting articles on The Roman Candle, the Medieval Crossbow, and Secret Weapons (such as missiles and rockets). At 170 pages in medium-size format, there are a lot of interesting historical facts and information in addition to all the material on the projects. This is a great idea for a book and Im surprised no-one has ever done it before.
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Backyard Ballistics >
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