We Make Ships

When U.S. landing craft churned toward Normandy on D-Day morning, each was powered by a revolutionary diesel engine developed in a decade-long project overseen by Charles Kettering of General Motors. Based on the material in the Kettering archives and other primary sources, this book chronicles the development of the practical diesel engine and the impact of both diesel and heavy-duty gasoline engines on fisherman, towboats, and the Navy. Included is a discussion of how internal combustion supplanted steam in riverboats and a look at the Navy's adoption of internal combustion engines.

The human stories behind the development of the internal combustion engine are combined with full-color photographs in this coffee-table book to present the beauty of the engines themselves. In addition to the portrait-quality photographs, line drawings, cutaways, and clear text describe how each engine works and its primary uses. The fascinating histories of the engineers and inventors who built these pioneering machines— stories of fame and fortune and tragedy and ruin are also told. Key stationary and marine engines from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are shown in addition to famous U.S. engines from such manufacturers as International Harvester and Fairbanks-Morse.