Description
Author: Bryan 'Bob' Boyle, Softbound,224 Pages, ISBN: 9781870519571, (First Published in 2000) - This Reprint 2014
Enter an Era of outstanding British engineering history
Author's Preface to this 2011 / 2014 reprint -
During its heyday, D. Napier & Sons Ltd designed and manufactured some of the world's lightest power-to-weight-ratio engines. The performance of some of these famous engines has never been surpassed. If you search the internet you will find many singing the praises of these magnificent machines, some of which, over half-a-century later are still in use today. Sadly, the men behind these achievements rarely get a mention. Bryan's book rectifies this oversight by giving us the human story, whilst charting the history of Napiers from 1935 when he pushed his way through the 'Green Door'.
I am immensely proud of the part that my father played, his dedication and integrity to his lifelong love of engineering, and in particular his beloved Deltic. He was truly blessed; he had three families, two marriages, children from both plus the Napier Deltic, his baby from that union. For me the latter came with a close team of dedicated engineering 'uncles', from an era when things were built to last.
Bryan didn't suffer fools gladly, often mistrusting the sales team, accountants or banks with hidden agendas. Of banks he said: "One day they will bring down the world." How prophetic has that statement become. He went on: "They are like umbrella salesmen lending you an umbrella when the sun shines and wanting it back when it rains." So too, when it was needed, the Napier 'Rainy Day Fund' had gone; I don't think that he ever forgave himself for not trying to do more to prevent the demise of the last truly great British engineering company, which had given him his first chance.
Every time a Deltic starts, I know he's smiling with pride at having produced something of real and lasting value, a machine which beats with his heart.
Robert 'Bob' Boyle - February 2011
