Self-Propelled Vehicles

James Edward Homans’ Self-Propelled Vehicles: A Practical Treatise on the Theory, Construction, Operation, Care and Management of All Forms of Automobiles (1902) was one of the first textbooks published about automobiles. Initially written as an introduction to this new and unfamiliar mode of transportation, the work has become a valued source for collectors, restorers, aficionados and students of automotive history. Homans provides a thorough review of the development of the early automobile from a technical standpoint and covers the relevant modes of propulsion: steam, electric and the gasoline engine. It is authoritative and detailed while remaining free from overly technical jargon.