The Penguin Book of Kites

by David Pelham

Book Overview

Originally published as The Penguin Book of Kites,' this marvellously illustrated guide has become rightly known as 'The Kite Flyer's Bible.' It contains all the facts about the construction and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140041176
• ISBN13: 9780140041170
• Release Date: July 1976
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.8" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Maybe the best ever kite book

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!

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!

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.

Great book for both beginner and seasoned enthusiast!

I am basing this review on an edition of this book (published by Penguin and previously called the Penguin Book of Kites) which I have owned for more than twenty years.This is a wonderful book for both the beginning kite flyer/maker and for those with more experience. It starts with the basics: types of kites, how to launch and fly them (like why you SHOULDN'T run with a kite to launch it), and continues on to materials, methods and many plans for kites. From your basic diamond-shaped kite to deltas to dragons (long-tailed) to box kites to fighting kites to stunt kites to multi-celled "snowflake" and parafoil kites, it has enough to keep you busy for many years.In a word, this book is COMPREHENSIVE, and if you only own one kite book (and I own many) this is an excellent choice. My old edition is falling apart at the seams from overuse, and I am truly thankful that this book has finally been re-issued (after 24 years). I'm getting a new one right away!