In this volume two monographs are reprinted in their entirety; these texts by the most distinguished phonetician of the first half of this century, Giulio Panconcelli-Calzia (1878-1966), are even today still the most comprehensive accounts of the 3000-year history of the study of sound by humans. An introduction in English on the history of phonetics by the editor provides the setting for these reprints but also for the ongoing research in the field. A 16-page bibliography covers phonetic history writing from the last hundred years.