The third in the author's series which includes The Romance of Writing and The Romance of Chemistry, this book deals with the system of English weights and measures. Words and concepts--mile, pound, acre, balance, and numerous others--are defined in terms of their origin and evolution in Egypt and Phoenicia and their spread through Rome and Greece to Western Europe. A vivid picture of the times which gave rise to the modern Western measurement systems and the personalities who consciously or inadvertently were involved in their development, this text, illustrated in black and white by C.B. Falls, affords an illuminating and worthwhile study for any reader who would achieve a more than hazy notion of the subject.