Herbert Goldstein.
Classical Mechanics.
Addison-Wesley. 1950
(read but not reviewed)
A classic textbook, enlivened by its mostly complimentary, but sometimes acidic, comments attached to the references. Some of the choicer ones are:
E. A. MILNE, Vectorial Mechanics (1948).
A formidable treatis which often manages somehow to make the elegant simplicity
of vector and tensor methods appear quite complicated and repellant. ...
E. T. WHITTAKER, Analytical Dynamics (1937).
A well-known treatise which presents an exhaustive treatment of analytical mechanics from the older viewpoints.
The development is marked, regretably, by an apparent dislike of diagrams
(of which there are only four in the entire book)
and of vector notation, and by a fondness for the type of pedantic mechanics problems
made famous by the Cambridge Tripos examinations. ...
W. E. BYERLY, Generalized Coordinates (1913).
... The lack of an index is a deplorable defect which makes use of the book somewhat difficult.
H. JEFFREYS and B. S. JEFFREYS, Methods of Mathematical Physics, 2nd edition (1950).
... The section on Euler angles is practically unintelligible, chiefly due to a poor diagram.
Heading each chapter are apt and witty quotations which add an unexpected flavour to the book!
E. T. WHITTAKER, Analytical Dynamics.
... The section on Eulerian angles is difficult to follow because of the lack of any diagram. ...
F. KLEIN and A. SOMMERFELD, Theorie des Kreisels (1897-1910).
This monumental work on the theory of the top, in four volumes,
has all the external appearances of the typically stolid and turgid German "Handbuch".
Appearances are deceiving, however, for it is remarkably readable,
despite the handicap of being written in the German language. ...
R. BECKER, Theorie der Elektrizitat, Vol II (1933).
... The style is fluent and surprisingly easy to read for a book written in German. ...
