Book excerpt: Early Developments of Modern Aerodynamics provides the wider aeronautical community with an insight into the historical development of aerodynamics. There were a number of key developments in the subject by German and Russian scientists and engineers such as Prandtl, Kutta and Zhukovskii at the beginning of the 20th century. All aerodynamics has been based on papers by these people but these fundamental papers are not available in English, indeed some of them have never before been translated. This text presents these papers, in English translation, together with an accompanying commentary putting them into the context of their period and showing their relevance to modern aerodynamics. Aimed at academics and professional engineers this book re-establishes the basis of the science of aerodynamics. - Fundamental material presented in English for the first time - Important historical developments put in context - Strong relevance to modern aerodynamics