****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
The 1953 edition is striking in that it explains in sufficient detail graphical (Yes, by hand) methods for plotting electrostatic, magnetostatic, and electric current fields both inside and outside of materials including an Appendix A-2 which summarizes the relevant subjects. To date, I have only seen these graphical methods described in two other books on the subject: the equally old book by Ernst Weber and Moon & Spencer's dissident text. [Supposedly A.D. Moore was the master of graphical field mapping, you might also find excellent field maps in the four (3 vols electrostatique and 1 vol magnetostatique) books by Durand.] When this graphical field cell method is applied to the subject of transmission lines the quantities of inductance and capacitance per unit length become crystal clear. Truly Kraus' ability to clearly explain the fundamental field concepts and how they translated directly to real engineering design parameters (albeit simple ones in this case) is quite superb.The determination of characteristic impedance using a d-c measurement (p.427) is a very practical application of the electromagnetic similitude which I found to be a very interesting alternative to buying expensive software/equipment to calculate/measure the quantity. I am especially impressed of the through yet simple figures and graphs that shows the thoughtfulness Kraus had when putting this excellent teaching tool together. In the age before the internet this book had it all. Most impressive is a figure showing the magnetic field quantities (B,M,H) along the center line at a gap in a permanently magnetized iron ring - a figure that always comes to mind with I see the defining interrelation between these quantities.Finally, Kraus does not shy away from using an appropriate amount of mathematics introducing vector calculus as needed in a most physical and intuitive fashion and culminating in solving boundary value problems of partial differential equations applied to .I understand from the preface of the 4th edition (the last within his lifetime) that the author removed the sections of graphical plotting from the later editions (furthermore he also mentions removing the sections on plasmas in the 2nd edition from the later editions).One might wonder why I purchased this copy of Kraus' Electromagnetics book that was first published in 1953. It was the result of several interactions I have had with "experts" in the Applied (Numerical and Computational) Electromagnetics/dynamics field. No less than 3 persons with 30+ years experience doing numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations who either 1) were taught from an edition of this text or 2) teach from an edition of this text (and those are just the individuals that I remembered to ask! ). An anecdote that one of these individuals shared with me about the author, Kraus who he knew while he was working on his PhD at Ohio State which I think speaks volumes about the author... Kraus was not only a excellent theoretician (see his book on Antennas), but loved to do electricity and magnetism experiments. Supposedly, he went through and recreated all of the experiments of Michael Faraday for fun in his basement at home. A student of history will know that Michael Faraday repeated all of the known experiments and captured all of the know electricity and magnetism (including some in electrochemistry and other aligned fields) up to his time. I think this is why Kraus has such a strong grasp of the subject, because he knew it independent of both the mathematics and the secondhandedness that many textbook writers have today.Plainly said, there is no better from which to learn the bread and butter of Engineering Electromagnetics. Highly recommended for self taught learners. Sitting at the feet of this master will not be an effort in vain. Such a pleasure to read!
