Continued and systematic analysis of the mechanics of flexible fibre assemblies dates from about 1945, although the growth of research into textiles after 1920 had included studies of fabric structure and the measurement of mechanical properties. The subject is thus a young one, although this NATO Advanced Study Institute is a sign of developing maturity. However there is an earlier tradition. Relevant, even if somewhat loosely connected, quotations can be found in the works of the engineers of the ancient civilisations, recurring during the llenaissance with Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo....