Stronger than a Hundred Men: A History of the Vertical Water Wheel (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology) [Paperback]

Terry S. Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2002 | Series: Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology (Book 7)

Like many apparently simple devices, the vertical water wheel has been around for so long that it is taken for granted. Yet this "picturesque artifact" was for centuries man's primary mechanical source of power and was the foundation upon which mills and other industries developed.

Stronger than a Hundred Men explores the development of the vertical water wheel from its invention in ancient times through its eventual demise as a source of power during the Industrial Revolution. Spanning more than 2000 years, Terry Reynolds's account follows the progression of this labor-saving device from Asia to the Middle East, Europe, and America-covering the evolution of the water wheel itself, the development of dams and reservoirs, and the applications of water power.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The most comprehensive and definitive history of the water wheel ever published... Reynolds's study is documented by a staggering number of notes and a vast bibliography, and the text is supplemented by numerous excellent illustrations... An attractive and highly useful source of information.

(Choice )

This is an exceptional scholarly work—clearly written, fully documented, and informatively illustrated.

(Library Journal )

This lucid, technically precise, and comprehensive study of this key element in the evolution of Western society is a major scholarly contribution. It is also an extremely interesting and readable book that should appeal to anyone with an interest in energy, machinery, or innovation.

(Science )

An extremely important, original, and substantial work. Few books in the history of technology can compare with it.

(Edwin Layton, University of Minnesota )

Review

"An extremely important, original, and substantial work. Few books in the history of technology can compare with it." -- Edwin Layton, University of Minnesota

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 453 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (July 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801872480
• ISBN-13: 978-0801872488
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #767,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating - reading it now, February 25, 2007

By 

Christian E. Bailey - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stronger than a Hundred Men: A History of the Vertical Water Wheel (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology) (Paperback)

This is the only book I've read on water wheels, but it's fascinating. It seems like a pretty thorough history going back as far as possible, and it discusses theories about how the ideas developed and includes many drawings and a few photographs. Lot of material here. Seems pretty thorough and interesting and authoritative for a textbook on *any* subject.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nature harnessed, December 20, 2008

By 

Eric Chaffee (Alden NY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stronger than a Hundred Men: A History of the Vertical Water Wheel (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology) (Paperback)

Setting out to restore a dam and millpond on my farm, I felt the need to understand something about the history of waterpower. This book was very helpful. (I also consulted a book from 1939 titled LOW DAMS.) I found 100-Men very informative, especially regarding its more recent history of smaller waterpower over the past century, when this technology was, sadly, allowed to decay, and was lost and largely forgotten, due to cheap oil. Trying to recover this resource is doubly difficult today, due to scarcity of know-how and restrictive ordinances. I also bought a book titled MICROHYDRO, by Davis, which is very up to date.

I've completed work on the dam. The waterpower feature will come in phase two. For now, it's fun to watch the water rush through the spillway and be able to vary the elevation and flow. The pond, which had been reduced to a rivlet for many years, is now more than seven feet deep.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oustanding!, May 5, 2004

By 

Dennis Buller (Killingworth, CT, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stronger than a Hundred Men: A History of the Vertical Water Wheel (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology) (Paperback)

If you are interested in the History of Technology , especially waterpower, I highly recommend this book. It is the best overview of the impact and development of all styles of vertical waterpower that I have read.