In his classic book, J. G. Landels describes the technological advances of the Greeks and Romans with erudition and enthusiasm. He provides an important introduction to engineering, writing about power and energy sources, water engineering, cranes, and transportation devises. From aqueducts to catapults, he attempts to envision machines as they may have worked in the ancient world. He then traces the path of knowledge taken by early thinkers—including Plato, Pliny, and Archimedes—in developing early theories of engineering and physics.

J. G. Landels, now retired, was a Senior Lecturer in Classics at Reading University. His work, in collaboration with the Engineering Department, involved making working replicas of ancient machines and testing them in the field.

"J. G. Landels is a rara avis, a classicist who is at home in the natural sciences and mathematics. . . . He ranges widely for his information; he can cite inscriptions, papyrus documents, and the latest findings of archaeology as well as passages from Hero and Vitruvius. On top of all this, he writes clearly and fluently. As a result, his book is a fine piece of work, a succinct and authoritative presentation of what is known of Greek and Roman engineering."—American Historical Review

"[Landels] has given a new dimension to our appreciation of Greek and Roman civilization. We are accustomed to appreciate what Greek and Roman artists, writers, and philosophers accomplished. We have not really understood what they achieved as engineers."—Classical Outlook