It is over three hundred and fifty years since Torricelli discovered the law obeyed by fountains, yet fluid dynamics remains an active and important branch of physics. This book provides an accessible and comprehensive account of the subject, emphasising throughout the fundamental physical principles, and stressing the connections with other branches of physics. Beginning with a gentle introduction, the book goes on to cover Bernouilli's theorem, compressible flow, potential flow, surface waves, viscosity, vorticity dynamics, thermal convection and instabilities, turbulence, non-Newtonian fluids and the propagation and attenuation of sound in gases. Undergraduate or graduate students in physics or engineering who are taking courses in fluid dynamics will find this book invaluable, but it will also be of great interest to anyone who wants to find out more about this fascinating subject.

‘Faber’s textbook fulfills a double need: to inform the student at a suitable level, and to allow the fascination of the visual phenomena of windmills and wind ruffled lakes to remain … highly recommended.’

A. D. Andrews Source: Irish Astronomical Journal

‘Overall I enjoyed reading the book and found some of the novel approaches informative and insightful.’

Source: Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society

‘The author hopes his book will be read for pleasure. I believe it will be. It is very nicely presented and his alternative view point is a welcome addition to the other introductory books on the subject.’

P. F. Linden Source: Journal of Fluid Mechanics

‘… Faber’s book will serve as a welcome complement for the teaching of fluid mechanics at the undergraduate and beginning graduate level. The text book will also function as a convenient entry point to fluid dynamics for physicists that are new comers to the field.’

Y. Couder Source: European Journal of Mechanics

‘… an attractive and readable book.’

N. C. Freeman Source: Contemporary Physics