J.M. Burgers (1895--1981) is regarded as one of the leading scientists in the field of fluid mechanics, contributing many important results, a number of which still bear his name. However, the work of this outstanding scientist was mostly published in the Proceedings and Transactions of The Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences, of which he was a distinguished member. Nowadays, this work is almost impossible to obtain through the usual library channels. Therefore, the editors have decided to reissue the most important work of J.M. Burgers , which gives the reader access to the original papers which led to important results, now known as the Burgers Equation, the Burgers Vector and the Burgers Vortex. Further, the book contains a biography of J.M. Burgers , which provides the reader with both information on his scientific life, as well as a rounded impression of the many activities which J.M. Burgers performed or was involved in outside his science.