Kite Flying, Love Expressing
A handsomely presented mass-produced box gift set from Weifang.
Kites that really fly
four decorated cutouts
Arte en el Cielo (Art Kites)
Published to go with Seville Expo '92, this large and extremely handsome book is a record of the Art Kite project: transforming words of art into kites and flying the whole collection together. It involved 100 artists from 20 countries and a similar number of Japanese kite makers, and was organised by the Goethe Institute in Osaka as a contribution to the Expo. The parallel texts are in Spanish and English. A commercially published English/Japanese version is Art Kites, edited by P. Eubel.
Paper Kite Workshop, Zsennye, Hungary, 2003
Published by the Drachen Foundation, this booklet documents a workshop run by Eveline Bischof, István Bodóczky and Anna Rubin. There are some really interesting and original kites here; I wish there had been space for more pictures.
Yoshizumi
The miniature kites of Nobuhiko Yoshizumi are wonders: perfect miniature reproductions of traditional Japanese kite forms and designs. This tiny book published by the Drachen Foundation is a small gallery of his kites and contains a template for a tiny (8 cm. long) Koi carp.
Thailand's Chula and Pakpao Kites
Hand Papermaking vol. 21 no. 1
This edition of the journal has as its theme "Paper in Flight", and there are a number of articles on paper kites and balloons. There are some gorgeous pictures of kites made from handmade paper.
Art that Flies
The development and contributions of three outstanding kiite artists, talking and writing about their work. A lovely book, though I wish more of the photographs were in colour. The book contains a very interesting and useful bibliography, mainly about the artists.
Kite Fishing In Essays and Studies Presented to William Ridgway.
This is the classic text on kite fishing. The original text is available on the web as images, but without the illustrations. I took these from a French translation (La pêche cerf-volant, translated into French by Karine Boitrelle-Petit, Hanoumane édition, Marines, France, 2004), which also served to resolve any doubtful readings from the sometimes inaccurate characater recognition of the scanned original. A pdf version is available from my website (www.johndobson.info).
Kites
A history of kites in photographs (no text). The historical pictures are very interesting, the more modern ones perhaps less so. Nevertheless this is a really good picture book.
Hidden Symmetry
A curious and interesting little book by a kitemaker who has experimented with asymmetric kites. Fascinating.
Better Kites
A very strange book with some exceedingly strange kites designed by the author, a retired architect. Not the least strange thing is that the text is in both English and Finnish. Quirky and highly original.
Kite Flight
Instructions for making 40 different kites. Kites are interesting, but construction techniques given are not for beginners or children. Some interesting historical black-and-white photographs and an unusually well-informed text. Recommended.
How to Make and Fly Stunt Kites
A useful book on basic stunt kite manoeuvres. The book also includes four make-it-yourself designs by Carl Robertshaw, including a 4-line design.
Kites
A small book but packs a lot of information: the sections are all brief but good. Covers kite history, kite flying, kite construction, kinds of kites, and kite phenomena (line climbers, kite assisted photography, kite fishing, kite traction).
Kitefolio
A most extraordinary book. It is basically a collection of illustrated anecdotes from kite history. Facing each episode there are diagrams and (fairly concise) instructions to make the illustrated kite. What makes the book so interesting is the fantastical illustrations, each of which takes up three-quarters of a large format (35cm x 28cm) page. I haven't come across anything else quite like it.
artisti fra cielo e terra
This small booklet was produced to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Cervia International Kite Festival. It is a labour of love from Caterina Capelli and photographer Hans Silvester, and shows the work of some leading kite artists. The text is in Italian but a separate leaflet contains an English translation.
Kites
The book shows pictures of some very fine kites to build, though the construction details are too short to be useful to the beginner.
Chinese Kite
A book of nice pictures of Chinese kites with a short text in English and Chinese.
Cerfs-Volants á la recherche du bleu
some historical photos and plenty of interesting modern kites in colour (in French)
Box Kites: Making and Flying
A set of 18 plans for box kites, all of which require accurate sewing skills. There are some interesting kites here.
Les Aérostiers Cerfs-Volistes
A history of the role of kites in World War I, with an extraordinary number of original photos (in French).
The Kite Store Book of Kites
A photocopy of Mark Cottrell's homemade instructions or hints on how to make some of his stranger kites. Most of this stuff has not been published elsewhere.
Miniature Kites
Some straightforward kites for older children to make.
Cerfs-volants
A book about famous western kite artists and photographs of some of their kites. Many of the photographs were taken at Dieppe. The only book I know that is entirely about kite artists. (In French.)
Kite Cookery
A slim book but a bit of a classic because it presents not a set of kite designs but some basic principles of designing a kite. Recommended for fliers wanting to start designing their own kite shapes and get them flyable.
Fun with Kites
The cover says "10 exciting designs with easy instructions". It might have added "and with really naff cartoon illustrations". The designs aren't exciting either, though to be fair it is aimed at small children making kites with their parents or grandparents, for which purpose it is eminently suitable.
Kiteworks
This book is a compendium of kitemaking techniques with over 30 different designs copiously illustrated; it also contains some interesting historical photos. A revised but not greatly expanded version was published in 1998 as The Magnificent Book of Kites.
The Magnificent Book of Kites
This book is a revised but not greatly expanded version of the author's previous book Kiteworks. No book has more, and more detailed, construction diagrams (over 1500 of them). Probably the best book for the beginner, though reasonable sewing skills are assumed.
Create-a-kite
A nide selection of twenty designs from simple to elaborate.
Pictures for the Sky
A commercially published version of the book published to go with Seville Expo '92, this large and extremely handsome book is a record of the Art Kite project: transforming words of art into kites and flying the whole collection together. It involved 100 artists from 20 countries and a similar number of Japanese kite makers, and was organised by the Goethe Institute in Osaka as a contribution to the Expo. The parallel texts are in English and Japanese.
Fighter Kites
Fighter kites need not all be the traditional Indian 4-sided shape. Here are complete instructions for building 29 different designs by a renowned French fighter kite designer and flyer.
Kites for All Seasons
A book on the history, physics, technology and skill of flying kites, with instructions for 13 models. Contains the first example known to me of a timeline showing the major events in the history of the kite, and some interesting historical photos. Pretty good for its time but parts of it are dated now.
Stunt Kites
A clear detailed book on how to do basic stunt kite flying. Suitable for beginners; the state of the art for experts has obviously advanced a long way since then.
Kites for Everyone
A classic book, one of the best, on kites for the home and classroom sewer. Its sequel, More Kites for Everyone, is just as good though with fewer kites.
More Kites for Everyone
A thinner, but just as good, sequel to the classic Kites for Everyone.
The Kite Making Handbook
A nicely produced book on the construction of some interesting kites, though the plans and construction processes are not sufficiently detailed for someone with no experience.
Chinese Artistic Kites
For four generations, the Ha family has been making kites, exploring new techniques and absorbing the best features of other kites into their own designs. The book presents some of their beautiful designs and explains their construction techniques. The text is not as substantial as the book by Zhen, but the pictures make this lovely and well-illustrated book a classic.
Kites: an Historical Survey
The second, slightly revised, edition of the first serious scholarly account (1967) of the history of the kite, and still the best such account.
Traumdeutung
Traumdeutung is the original German title of Freud's Interpretation of Dreams. This book, which was written as the catalogue of an exhibition in Székesfehérvár, Hungary in 2008 explores the dream-like world of István Bodóczky's extraordinary paintings and asymmetric kites in a few pages of parallel text in Hungarian and English and several pages of illustrations. A lovely book.
Kites Sculpting the Sky
A history of the Japanese tradition of kite making and flying by a leading Japanese expert, with instructions for making some traditional Japanese kites. A very good book on the subject.
Kites: Aussie Style (The trash bag kite book)
Detailed plans for a dozen or so different styles of trash bag kites. I have used this book with local schoolchildren. Useful, but superseded by the same author's Kites to Touch the Sky, which has more designs.
Kites of Malaysia
A thin and superficial book, though it does present a classification of different types of Malaysian kite.
Kites to Touch the Sky
The book provides plans for over 30 trash bag kites ranging from a basic sled to a multi-facet kite. There is some duplication with the same author's Kites: Aussie Style, but this book has more designs.
Kites
A glossy introduction to kite history and contemporary western kite flying. Many of the photographs are pretty, but the text is superficial.
Kites of Japan
A monograph on the classification of existing traditional Japanese kites by name, maker and district of origin. Every kite mentioned (hundreds of them) is described and illustrated in colour. A wonderful book. Mine is a photocopy of the original.
Wings of Dream
A lovely collection of photos of modern Chinese (Taiwanese) kites. (in Chinese.) Also with six ready-to-fly paper kites.
25 Kites that Fly
This book, originally published in 1929, contains some novel and interesting paper-and-stick designs. The title is a bit of a misnomer; I have tried making some of these kites out of the suggested materials, and the best that can be said of some of them is that they can indeed be induced to fly, but not very well.
Kites, the Science and the Wonder
The publisher's claim that "this is the first guide to making kites with a thorough scientific explanation for the merits of various kite designs" is a bit misleading. The science is clearly explained but is not always complete or correct, and only flat kites are considered. A much more comprehensive treatment which also considers box kites is to be found in Lecornu's Les Cerfs-Volants (1902), though unfortunately this work does not appear to have been translated into English.
Make your own Kite (new kites)
A more than usually interesting book on making kites from scrap materials, though computer cards are not obtainable these days. Some originality in the designs.
Chinese Kites: How to Make and Fly them
A pretty worthless book with a very superficial summary of the history of kites in China and brief instructions on how to make some simple Chinese kites. Possibly intended for children but to actually make the kites requires an adult brain and skills.
The Creative Book of Kites
The four main sections of this book say it all: A brief history, Types of kite, Learning to fly (1-, 2- and 4- line kites), Make your own kites. All the sections are short but competent and nicely illustrated. The author worked for a time at the Kite Store in London (of blessed memory).
Les Cerfs-Volants
A very lengthy treatise (nearly 250 pages) on the aerodynamics of kites and on the history and state-of-the-art of kite flying as it was at the beginning of the 20th century. Unsurpassed in its treatment of what it deals with. As far as I can discover it has not yet been translated into English. Mine is a photocopy of the original.
De l'Emploi des Trains de Cerfs-Volants montés pour la Surveillance des Mers.
Describes some experiments using a train of 2-cell (Hargrave) box kites so that the observer in a basket below the the train could carry out various marine observations, both meteorological and military (though these are not described). Mine is a photocopy of the original.
Kites and Kite Flying
More pictures than words in this history of kite flying and contemporary kites. But some of the pictures are very good.
Petit Llibre de l'Estrel
A children's book on the history and making of kites, with charming illustrations. (In Catalan. One of the very first books to be published in Catalan after the interdict on such books was lifted following the death of Franco.)
A Monograph on the Mechanics and Equilibrium of Kites
The title says it all. The book requires some knowledge of physics and mathematics, and is a comprehensive treatment of its subject. Mine is a modern reprint of the original.
Art that Soars
This book is the documentary publication of the exhibition Art that Soars — Kites and Tails by Jackie Matisse, organised and presented by the Mingei International Museum in 2000. Jackie Matisse is an internationally renowned kite artist, perhaps best known for her interest in making beautiful kite tails. A handsome book.
Te Manu Tukutuku (The Maori Kite)
A detailed study of the Maori tradition of kites and kitemaking. The book has reawakened an interest in this aspect of Maori culture. The birdman kites (the most common form of Maori kite) have a shape very reminiscent of Anthony Gormley's sculpture The Angel of the North.
Kites and Other Flying Objects
A fairly average book of kite-related art, kitemaking and educational projects for older primary school children.
Step-by-Step Making Kites
A nice book of about 10 interesting designs for making with children.
Kitecraft and Kite Tournaments
A modern reprint (obtainable from www.kessinger.net) of a book first published in 1914. An excellent and copiously illustrated survey of all kites (and model aeroplanes, balloons, parachutes and gliders) known in the USA at the time. Contains some very interesting designs. An excellent bibliography, though the articles cited are almost certainly not obtainable now, though they may be in the big national libraries. Worth reading in its own right as well as being indispensable to the kite historian.
The Making of Japanese Kites
A clear guide to making 15 traditional Japanese kites using Japanese materials and construction methods. The book also explains the significance of many traditional Japanese images and shapes. A nice book to have even if you don't want to engage with the complex construction techniques.
The Road to Kitty Hawk
A nicely produced and well illustrated history and prehistory of controlled flight, terminating in the Wright brothers' experiments and success.
The Book of Kites
A large format handsome book of Skybums kites, with good clear instructions for making some of their simpler kites.
Kites
This is the first edition of Ron Moulton's book of this title. Copiously illustrated with diagrams by Pat Lloyd and historical photos, it defined the state of the art in kiteflying in the UK at the time it was written, and is still useful today.
Kites
This is the second edition of Ron Moulton's book of this title. The contribution of draughtsman Pat Lloyd is now fully recognised by making him joint author. The text has been rewritten and expanded and the book brought up-to-date.
Kites
This is the third edition of Ron Moulton's book of this title. The text has been slightly revised from the second edition, but otherwise the book is basically the same.
Trilokyta
Linda Johnson Murosako uses bamboo and handmade paper to make unique shapes and images not usually associated with kites. Her kites are a modern reflection of the traditional art of the Japanese kite. This handmade book on handmade paper is a set of words and images about kites and influences on her kitemaking. A gem of a book, an absolute treasure, a work of art.
Beaufort
A History of the Beaufort Scale.
Kite Craft
A classic book on the history and processes of kitemaking. The emphasis is on methods of making kites, not kite designs, though there are some interesting kites in the black-and-white photos.
Wngs of Resistance: The Giant Kites of Guatemala
A good cultural history with some wonderful pictures of the barriletes gigantes. A fabulous book.
Kites
Perhaps the most famous classic book of all. A comprehensive and thoroughly illustrated introduction to kites and kiting, covering their history, making and flying. Indispensable.
Fly Kites (four kites to make and fly)
Four prefabricated (press out and glue) keeled diamond kites.
High Flying Kites
A brief history of kites written for children, with instructions for making something that looks like an Indian fighter kite but is bridled differently.
The Aeropleustic Art or Navigation in the Air
This is the famous account written by George Pocock of his use of a kite to pull a carriage. Mine is a photocopy of the 1969 facsimile of the original.
A Treatise on The Aeropleustic Art or Navigation in the Air
This is the second edition of the famous account written by George Pocock of his use of a kite to pull a carriage. It contains a description of the "Charvolant, or Kite Carriage" and also "numerous most amusing and interesting anecdotes connected with several extraordinary excursions both by sea and land". Mine is a modern reprint from Kessinger.
Kite Making and Flying
Instructions and diagrams for 19 kites made from paper, string, wood and bamboo. Similarly old-fashioned section on tools, materials, methods and accessories. Simple sections on weather, history, forming a club, and the educational value of kitecraft.
Les Cerfs-Volants Observatoires
A short account of a successful attempt to use a train of box kites to lift an observer up a few hundred metres. Some charming photographs of the experiment. Mine is a photocopy of the original.
Sounding the Ocean of Air
6 lectures describing almost everything scientific that was known about kites at the time.
One-hour Kites
One of the best books on making kites from materials available at any good stationer and hardware shops. Clear, detailed plans and instructions for 25 different kinds of kite. If you only want one such book, this should probably be it.
Artistic Kites
A gallery of Anna Rubin's highly original and very beautiful kites with a short biography of the artist, published by the Drachen Foundation.
Cerfs-Volants Militaires
An account of the aerodynamics and experience of using military two-celled box kites both singly and in trains. Some mathematics is required to understand the theoretical presentation. Mine is a photocopy of the original.
Flying Toys
This book by the designer of the UFO kite has patterns for that and other similar spinning kite-like things.
Making and Flying Stunt Kites
Very detailed instructions on how to build some of this master kitemaker's fascinating designs.
The Great Kite Book
Patterns to build 19 paper kites. The designs are very interesting and quite complex. This book was reissued in 2003 in softback form and with a different cover as Best Ever Paper Kites.
Marvellous Mini-kites
Plans of 19 paper kites to make and decorate. Easy to make, but painting them nicely will take time.
Best Ever Paper Kites
Patterns to build 19 paper kites. The designs are very interesting and quite complex. This book is a reissue in softback form of The Great Kite Book (1997) without change of text or pictures, though the picture on the cover is different.
Into the Wind
A book of lovely kite photos. Almost no text.
Kites – Paper Wings over Japan
This delightful book surveys the art of creating and flying Japanese kites with pen portraits of contemporary kitemakers and fine pictures of both classic and contemporary kites. A fine, authoritative book.
The Cocktail-Napkin Kite
A tiny book from the Drachen Foundation with instructions for making tiny kites from paper napkins. The book includes a gaily coloured paper napkin and a length of tiny thread on a tiny card winder. A miniature gem of a book.
Wittgenstein Flies a Kite
This book is basically a biography of the famous philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, but the first few chapters provide a much more detailed account of his early research career as an aeronautical engineer and his experiments in building kites for meteorological observation than is available in other biographies, and explains for the philosophically inclined reader the relationship between this stage in his thinking and the development of the ideas behind the Tractatus.
Japanese Kite Prints
A large and handsome book from the Drachen Foundation presenting a fine selection of Scottt Skinner's famous collection of Japanese kite prints to illustrate a learned but readable discourse on Japanese culture, kites and printmaking.
The Art of the Japanese Kite
This book is the famous sculptor's tribute to the Japanese kite. It is a series of linked essays rather than a didactic work. Other books may have more or better pictures, but none are quite so interestingly and well written.
A Kite Journey through India
The title says it all about this book by the artist, kiteflier and writer Tal Streeter. As always, well written and interesting, a lovely read.
The Philosopher's Kite
Essays and stories by the famous artist and kitemaker. Distinctive and original writing, very readable. It is a great pity that the book is let down by poor design and production values.
Jouets à Vent
The wind toys are mainly kites, but other wind toys such as sand yachts and windmills are also included. This is a most extraordinary book with the toys constructed mainly from everyday materials such as paper, bamboo, corks, cotton reels etc. Many of the toys are completely original and some of the kites I have never seen anywhere else. (In French.)
Kites and other Wind Machines
There are some interesting designs in this book of kites you can build. The kite sails are invariably made of paper. As with his earlier book Jouets à Vent, many of the designs are completely original and some of the kites I have never seen anywhere else.
Super Kites I
The first book of Neil Thorburn's interesting designs for trash bag kites, originally self-published but reprinted by the Drachen Foundation.
Super Kites II
18 more kites.
Super Kites III
Plans of 39 advanced kite designs. A very interesting and unusual selection.
Origami-Tako & Kite
A book on making some simple paper kites, extremely well illustrated which is just as well since the entire text apart from the title and date of publication is written in Japanese. My copy is signed in European script by the author, which is how I know who he is.
Bolt of Fate
Famous, or infamous, as the book that cast real doubt on whether Franklin actually performed the experiment for which he is credited. It is clear that he knew in advance what general result was to be expected, and he wanted to make a political as well as a scientific point, so perhaps he deliberately blurred the distinction between "This is what happened when I did it" and "This is what would have happened had I done it". There is clearly a case to answer. Did he actually perform the experiment? Not proven, I think. The book is a good read though, well written in a lively style.
Kites: The Gentle Art of High Flying
A short but fairly accurate history and set of biographies is followed by instructions for making 22 kites graded from a simple trash bag kite to a complex centipede. One of the better books of its kind.
The Tao of Kiteflying
Subtitled 'the dynamics of tethered flight', this book is a largely but not entirely non-mathematical treatise on the basic aerodynamics of kites, with some useful tips on what to do if your kite won't fly.
Kites: How to Make and how to Fly them
A contemporary overview of kites that were current in the 1890's. Mine is a modern reprint.
Flying Kites
A good history of kites with some interesting historical photos. Also contains instructions for building 12 classic kite designs.
Bermuda Kites
A slim book with half a dozen patterns for simple coloured paper-and-stick flat kites. Undated but probably about 1980.
Parakites
A famous early book on "the making and flying of tailless kites for scientific purposes and for recreation". The author uses the word "parakite" (the Greek prefix παρα meaning 'beyond') to mean a tailless bowed diamond kite. The kites to which the parakite is 'beyond' are flat oriental kites. A classic. Mine is a photocopy of the original.
World on a String
Another kite history book with some interesting historical photos. Easier to read, but perhaps less authoritative than Clive Hart's Kites: An Historical Survey.
The Complete Book of Kites and Kite Flying
One of the best books on all aspects of the subject. This book was to American fliers what Pelham's book Kites was to English fliers. It contains many interesting historical photographs and is an exceptionally good read. Strongly recommended.
China Kites
A lovely book on the history, development and classification of Chinese kites, with instructions on traditional methods of construction with some beautiful photographs. The text is more substantial than the book by the Ha family.
list updated 8 December 2020