The author describes the evolution of the first practical stationary engines and illustrates some of the many designs, with notes on their important features and information on the better-known manufacturers.

Colour photographs and archive illustrations depict engines produced by well-known manufacturers such as the Associated Manufacturers' Company, Lister, Petter and Wolseley, and those of lesser-known makers such as Morton and Naylor.

This is the ideal introduction to these fascinating machines.