The Mechanical Principles of Engineering and Architecture

Seventh wrangler in the Cambridge mathematical tripos in 1826, Henry Moseley (1801-72) was adept at applying mathematical analysis to a wide variety of problems. Appointed professor of natural and experimental philosophy and astronomy at London’s newly established King’s College in 1831, he was instrumental in creating the institution’s department of engineering and applied science. This 1843 textbook is based on the lectures in statics, dynamics and structures that he gave to students of engineering and architecture. Moseley draws on the latest continental work in mechanics, and the treatment of problems is mathematically sophisticated. Starting with basic statics and dynamics, Moseley covers topics of interest to both civil and military engineers, with sections on the theory of machines and on the stability of walls, arches and other structures. Notably, the American edition of this work was adopted as a textbook by the United States Military Academy at West Point.