Diesel's Engine

This is a reprint of Diesel's Engine, first published in 1993. The book is a fantastic resource for serious fans of engine evolution and a great read as well. If you are interested in how the combustion engine came to be, this book and its companion, Internal Fire, are vital reading. We at Octane Press believe it to be a critical piece of automotive history and are happy to have a revised edition to offer to our readers.

C. Lyle Cummins Jr. continues his series on the internal combustion engine's heritage in Diesel's Engine. This engaging book is a fascinating and comprehensive history of the diesel engine, written by the son of Cummins Engine Co. founder, Clessie Cummins.

This is a companion book to Internal Fire: The Internal Combustion Engine 1673-1900 and covers in dramatic detail the entire sweep of Rudolf Diesel's original ideas: the struggles to perfect the diesel engine, and the creation of an international industry that brought the world's most efficient motor to market. Illustrated with black and white photos and period line drawings, this is a must-read for any serious enthusiast for engine and transportation technology. 

Cummins is uniquely qualified to tell the diesel story. Raised in the family of America's automotive diesel pioneer, his career as a mechanical engineer includes the design, development and marketing of diesel engine retarders and fuel systems for which he was granted five US patents. He has received several notable awards for his writings on I-C engine history. Cummins has devoted over two decades exhaustively researching his subject in corporate and museum archives throughout Europe and the United States to provide this definitive history of the diesel.

Accolades for Diesel's Engine

“ ... eminently readable, even by the mechanically innocent, treating his sub­ject with humor, understanding and affec­tion." –Road & Track

"This new book is an enjoyable and informative . . . treatment of the subject, from its conception in the mind of Rudolf Diesel . . . until 1918. The author is eminently qualified to write on this subject."­–Waterways Journal

“[It's] 'user­-friendly,' and well worth the time spent for the sheer volume of information included."– Gas Engine Magazine

"It's a treasure trove of information . . . In short, the world will owe a big round of thanks to Lyle Cummins . . . for completing this very impressive work."– Wheels of Time, American Truck Historical Society