About this item
Garage warriors will get a bang out of this new handbook from the author of Backyard Ballistics that shows how to build cannons and other fun things that shoot, from Wiffle ball launchers and beverage bottle bazookas to superpowered water guns and model culverins. In Ready the Cannons!, engineer William Gurstelle breaks down how to safely construct a dozen awesome artillery devices in your basic home workshops using easy-to-find household or hardware store materials. Clear instructions, diagrams, and photographs illustrate how to build projects ranging from the simple - a supersonic Ping-Pong ball shooter - to the more complex - a replica of the Napoleon Cannon. With a strong emphasis on safety, the book also gives tips on troubleshooting, tells the history of how and when the artillery devices were used, and explains the physics behind the projects.
About the Author
In 2011, Popular Mechanics Magazine added five special editors to its masthead: William Gurstelle, Jay Leno, the Mythbusters' Adam Savage and Jaime Hyneman, and Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds. There's a reason Bill is there along side those luminaries: His views on risk taking, combined with his best selling books have put him in the spotlight.
Media Attention
Long features about Bill and his ideas have run in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Popular Science, the London Daily Telegraph, National Public Radio, PBS, Radio Canada, and scores of other media outlets.
Best Selling Author
Now, because of his groundbreaking views and easy writing style, he's one of the most widely read science and technology authors in the world. His best sellers include Absinthe and Flamethrowers, Backyard Ballistics, Adventures from the Technology Underground, and The Practical Pyromaniac. More than a half million copies of his books have been sold, a truly amazing amount for a technology author.
National Magazine Columnist
In addition to his books, he writes frequently on culture and technology for national magazines including Popular Mechanics, Wired, the Atlantic, and Make. Online, he is a frequent contributor to BoingBoing, Makezine, and Wired.
Popular Speaker
Bill has given lectures to groups all over the world including North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Select clients and their comments are available through the navigation panel to the left.
