I was led to this book from reading the author's later book "Diesels for the First Stealth Weapon: Submarine Power 1902-1945." The introduction to that book indicated that it was a sequel of sorts to "Diesel's Engine." Having thoroughly enjoyed "Diesels for the First Stealth Weapon" I made a note to pick up "Diesel's Engine" if the asking price was reasonable.
Now that I've read it I'm happy to report that it exceeded all my expectations. It's subject is somewhat broader than the later book. Not only does it cover all diesels worldwide regardless of application but is also a serviceable biography of Rudolf Diesel. His story is truly a precautionary tale of how difficult handling success often is. Author Cummins is obviously an admirer of Diesel but he does go out of his way to be objective. He does not soft pedal Diesel's shortcomings. On the other hand it appears that Diesel was quite fortunate that his patent(s) were not more vigorously challenged. In the current US legal climate it is likely he would have been ripped to shreds in court.
The bulk of the book is devoted to the engine itself. It is a feast for "gearheads". But be warned: if the reader is a technical neophyte he can expect no hand holding from the author. The author assumes the reader knows what he's in for. The book is well illustrated both photographically and with drawings. The reader is rarely left to his own devices trying to visualize mechanisms that the author is describing. On the occasions that he is (reversing mechanisms form a high proportion) it can be rough.
The sheer variety of engines across many nations and over a quarter century is quite staggering. There are many clever designs described and illustrated. Some are noteworthy for their size alone; the battleship ship engines are truly breathtaking.
Complaints are very few. The most annoying to me is the author's habit of frequently referring to Diesel as "Rudolf." I realize that this is to avoid confusion between the man and various companies that carried his name but I thought the author went too far.
Highly recommended. The fact that Cummins had to publish this book (and his others) himself indicates that this book was a labor of love and he could not have been greatly rewarded financially for his efforts. Posterity, I think, will be very grateful for his efforts. The sheer amount of source material he drew on is very impressive. This is truly a case where if one wants to dispute the author's conclusions, one has a lot of reading to do first.
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2013Format: Hardcover
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- M. R. WingReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2015
Diesel's Engine, C.Lyle Cummins
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
