Review of The Public Fountains of the City of Dijon by Henry Darcy, Translation by Patricia Bobeck: Kendal∕Hunt, Dubuque, Iowa, 2004. ISBN: 0-7575-0540-6, Price: $100 506 pp. plus 28 plates.

Every so often you discover a work and your first reaction is, “why did it take so long for someone to do this.” Pat Bobeck’s translation of Henry’s Darcy’s greatest work, Les Fontaines Publiques de la Ville de Dijon easily produces that reaction. We have all used Darcy’s Law, and most of us have seen the reference to the original work published in 1856. However, few have seen, much less read the classic work that extends for 647 pages and 28 plates. This deficiency may be explained in part by the facts that it was published $149\text{years}$ ago, copies are difficult to obtain, and even native French speakers are discouraged by interpreting terminology inconsistent with modern usage wrapped in old flowery prose. Bobeck’s new translation has thus filled a significant void in the historical engineering literature. This edition provides a ready reference to one of the basic equations of fluid flow. More importantly, it is a window back in time that will put into perspective both Darcy’s contributions and the accomplishments of the profession over the last one and a half centuries.

Most will be surprised at the range of topics Darcy addressed. The volume is really a rambling thesis in which he published much of his life’s work. There are sections on historical water supplies with comparisons of French, English, and Belgian cities, estimates of per capita water use, results of pipe flow experiments, methods to fabricate pipe, and many other topics. Some parts are mundane, while in other sections you can see the foundations of our profession being built. This is not a sit down and read it straight through type of book. Instead it is best kept next to a comfortable chair and slowly digested over several days. The 28 plates reproduced at the end of the volume are themselves worth an evening’s time. No technical drawings have ever equaled the beauty of the 19th century French engineering reports, and the plate reproductions, while inferior to originals, still almost justify the cost of the volume.

Of course many will want the volume to see Darcy’s original work on filtration that led to the law that bears his name, and they will not be disappointed. In addition to the appendix directly associated with his experiments, there are sections on the origin of springs, methods to discover springs, artesian wells, and various filtration methods and designs. Many may be surprised at Darcy’s design of a filter tank with rotating brushes for the removal of solids.

While the technical material is remarkable, Darcy also shares with the reader his personality and the attitudes of the day. Most educators and practitioners will be pleased to read Darcy’s six-page discussion of “spring seekers.” While he tries to remain objective, the scientist in him shows through as he describes the complicated ritual of one contemporary “seeker” and then declares, “It is obvious that there is no mysterious or magic process here, only a little bit of staging perhaps!”

It would be difficult to give Bobeck too much praise for her efforts in this translation. She carried out a huge effort translating every paragraph, table, and figure caption of the original. She also ensured an accurate translation by consulting experts in Old French, Modern French, geology, and engineering (including this reviewer). Both French and water resources vocabularies have evolved in the last $150\text{years}$ , and she took care in persevering both Darcy’s true meaning and style. In addition to the translation, she has provided a glossary of terms, translator notes, and a forward by John Sharp of the University of Texas. The American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation has honored Ms. Bobeck with the S. Edmund Berger Prize for Excellence in Scientific and Technical Translation for this work. Finally, Bob Kent of Geomatrix Consultants should also be credited with both initially proposing the translation and funding its publication.

This is an excellent book and will be of interest to historians, libraries, educators, and practicing hydrogeologists and engineers. It would also be a suitable volume to use as a presentation gift to students and professionals. Buy two, one for yourself and a second for the friend. He∕she will thank you for it.