This excellent historical survey of the strength of materials features many references to the theories of elasticity and structure. Based on an extensive series of lectures, it explores the early roots of the discipline from the great monuments and pyramids of ancient Egypt to the temples and fortifications of the Greeks and Romans. 245 figures.
I'm dropping this book for now - the author assumes a fair amount of engineering knowledge that I just don't have, which makes it really hard to appreciate the various theories. I'll come back to it after I've read a book on current theories of strength of materials.