Prandtl's essentials of fluid mechanics. With contributions by M. Böhle, D. Etling, U. Müller, K. R. S. Sreenivasan, U. Riedel, and J. Warnatz. Translated by Katherine Mayes. (Q1883271)

Prandtl's classical text on fluid mechanics, which under the German title ``Führer durch die Strömungslehre'' first appeared in 1942 and now runs in a modernized and updated form into 11 German editions, is with good reasons regarded as the best book in the field it covers, not only in the German-speaking countries but worldwide. The original ``Führer durch die Strömungslehre'' (``Guide à travers la mécanique des fluides'') was translated into four foreign languages. The first English translation from the German third edition appeared under the slightly paraphrased but apt title ``The Essentials of Fluid Mechanics'' in 1952 (1952; Zbl 0048.42801). The present second English edition, ``Prandtl's Essentials of Fluid Mechanics'', follows the 10th German edition of the book published in 2001 under the German new title ``Prandtl-Führer durch die Strömungslehre'' (Zbl 1012.76001), it is however not its literal translation. As with respect to all other previous editions, the present book is a thoroughly revised, updated and enlarged new one that in the best possible way takes into account the accumulated body of knowledge in the field of fluid mechanics during the elapsed fifty years. However, the main characteristics of the Prandtl-book have been preserved, both with regard to the selection of the material and the way how it is presented. The book contains 14 main chapters, including an excellent introduction and a chapter that presents the fundamental equations of fluid mechanics. The topics treated in the various chapters are title-wise indicated under the keywords in this review. The chapters 2 to 4 on the basics of fluid mechanics, which in the substance is the original Prandtl's material enlarged with the significant subchapters on the ``Topology of a Flow'' and on ``Flows of Non-Newtonian Media'', as well as chapter 5 on the fundamental fluid-mechanical equations, are provided with appropriate problems with solutions, which presents a new feature of the book in comparison with previous editions and makes it more suitable for a textbook. The editor and in the same time the author of the most part of the new material in this Prandtl-book is Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Herbert Oertel jun., Professor Ordinarius and head of the Institute for Fluid Mechanics at the University in Karlsruhe (TH), an expert and worldwide recognized authority in this field, who is continuing with influencing fascination of fluid mechanics with great success Prandtl's admirable tradition both in research and in education. The coauthors are eminent university professors and internationally recognized specialists in different branches of fluid mechanics. To conclude, the book is truly modern and extraordinary organized, and it is highly recommendable to everyone who is already working in the field of fluid mechanics or just begins to study it.