The Library Shelf

Abstract

In the preface it is stated that a need exists for a ‘comprehensive treatment of the subject that will present fundamentals in broad perspective but without emphasis on any one type of system’. The book is written as a single volume introduction to the subject so as to fill this need in part. The missiles dealt with in the book are what, in this country, would be more properly called guided missiles; the author states that the broader description ‘advanced’ was adopted to avoid implying any unintended restriction upon the applicability of basic principles. The book is competently written and a number of diverse technical aspects are handled in a workmanlike manner. There is a refreshing soundness and depth to the book which regrettably is not often found in books on guided missiles from across the Atlantic. To cover a subject embracing so many different techniques in a book of less than 600 pages is, of course, a difficult task. The treatment on the whole therefore has to be concise. This in itself is not a failing as the reader will generally be expert in at least one of the areas and will gain enough from the book to refresh his memory and enough to see what are the main features applicable to guided weapons. In areas where the reader is less well trained it will be necessary for him to supplement the text by reading elsewhere. To aid him in this the book is adequately provided with references (without overburdening the text). The treatment is a formal presentation of the basic theories, emphasising the common ideas underlying, for example, signal detection in the presence of noise and quality control. The reader would finish the book with a sound idea of the fundamentals but with only the vaguest idea of how to set about the design of a missile. What is required is a sequel to this book where the logical design, say, of three or four types of missiles is worked through with a generous number of examples.

Citation

J.C., A.D.Y. and T.H. (1959), "The Library Shelf", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 31 No. 6, pp. 183-184. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb033128