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Kites | 
 enlarge | Author: David Pelham
Publisher: Overlook TP
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $9.95
You Save: $8.00 (45%)
New (21) Used (9) from $8.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 405282
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 227
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 7.5 x 0.5
ISBN: 1585670170
Dewey Decimal Number: 629.13332
EAN: 9781585670178
ASIN: 1585670170
Publication Date: February 1, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new. Will ship immediately.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Great book - HORRIBLE publishing January 31, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is, without question, an exemplary work on the fascinating topic of kites. This work explores their history in detail and should certainly be in the library of anyone who is interested in the subject.
Sadly, there are some problems with this book that are certainly unrelated to its content but, due to their ability to interfere with reading it, must be mentioned here. Never, and I mean this literally, have I ever read a book which was published using such incredibly small type and my vision certainly isn't that bad. The type used is so small that it's almost impossible to read much without getting distracted. Furthermore, the type used for captions to the many great photographs and drawings is even smaller. Then, to compound matters, the ink used for text reflects light in such a way that one can only read the book when positioned properly. According to the cover pages, the book was printed in China and, I don't know if they used poor printing techniques or where just trying to save money but this book is, without question, the most poorly published I've ever come across. About my only criticism regarding the content of this book is that it could use a quick edit as there are few items that get annoying very quickly; in particular, the author's (or editor's) decision to use the metric system (nothing wrong with that, per se) but that those measurements are consistently then provided using the imperial system with that number being preceded with the word "say." For example, the kite measured one meter (say 1.09 yards), etc. The strange use of the word "say" (which often appears several times on a page) gets to be really irritating.
Granted, this review is rather different but the poor publishing and editing decisions greatly interfere with what would otherwise be an incredible book.
 Good on Kite History, Lacking on Kite Flying and Construction November 8, 2005
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
The 1st 110 pages of this 220 page book are about the history of kites. Interesting, and very well illustrated with old photos. If that's what you're interested in, it's probably a five star. If you're interested in flying a kite today, then it's more like a one star. The section on building and flying kites is very poorly illustrated. If you're not already proficient in kite building, and you haven't seen a prototype of the kite you're trying to build in person, I'm guessing this book won't get you off the ground. There is some discussion about kite flying tips, types of line, and reels, though it seems thrown together, and again poorly illustrated.
 Maybe the best ever kite book May 27, 2004
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I bought my first copy of this in 1976 and have worn out three copies in the intervening years. I have many kite books in my collection but still come back to this one for inspiration - time after time. Less is more and this is certainly the case with Pelham's book. If I was going to a desert island and was allowed one book this would be the one!
Top of the line! August 20, 2002
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is where it all started for me in 1978. Comprehensive descriptions and basic measurements, but all kites built from this book have flown very well. This cannot be said about the many more recent books on kites. Because of the simplicity of the instructions, this book is most suitable for people with some kite building experience.
Oh boy! The perfect kite book for adults! August 20, 2001
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Wow, this book is really neat. It starts out with a fascinating history of kites and winds up with actual kite plans. The history section includes lots of interesting facts I've never heard before. It begins with the ancient origins but includes the 19th and early 20th century inventors (Cody, Bell, etc.) in enough detail to understand what they were really doing. The history section winds up with the inventors of the hang glider (1948) and parafoil (60's). Lots of rare photos and drawing are used to illustrate their work.After that there are sections on kite flying, kite construction, materials, plans, etc. The text here is terse and to the point, with sufficient detail and scaling information to build the kites whose plans are included (or so it appears, I didn't try to build one). A wide variety of kite plans are included, from traditional designs to unique ones; with enough airflow theory thrown in here and there to make you think you could design your own. It's lavishly illustrated, but the small format prevents this from being a "coffee table" book. I can't recommend this book highly enough for adults or inventive teens.
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