Any breakage is determined by the stress field and material failures. The essentials of the stress field in elastic and inelastic spheres and also in elastic circular discs under compression and impact are discussed. The problem of wave induced cracks is investigated experimentally. High speed photography of the breakage of glass discs and spheres and furthermore the fragment shape analysis are used to perceive the dynamics of the breakage event and the crack pattern. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.