Forty years ago, when the last book on operating and driving steam road vehicles was published, there were still many men around who had been professional drivers to instruct new the amateur ones; now there few, so this new book, written by someone with 20 years under his belt as an engine owner, is welcome. The author starts by describing the major types - traction engines, ploughing engines, road locomotives, tractors, rollers and miniatures (waggons don’t feature), looking at the technical and practical differences in each, then moving on to everything connected with the boiler, water feed and lubrication. This is followed by chapters on driving at rallies, and on the road, before the final chapters on Washing Out and Preparing for Winter, Boiler Inspection and Routine Maintenance. Good, useful stuff, even if I don’t agree with the author’s way of descending hills, - maybe they do things differently in flat Suffolk to the Surrey/Sussex borders where I learnt to drive 30 years ago! Well presented with 213 photos in colour and just 8 B&W. 144 pages. Hardback. Haven Publishing