The Stanley Steamer, America’s Legendary Steam Car, by Kit Foster, 2004 ISBN 1–886–72707–4. Hardbound, 12" x 9", 568 pages, well illustrated. Published by M.T. Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 6802, Evansville, IN 47719-6802. Deluxe Standard Edition $79.95, Bonded Leather Edition $125.00 plus $6.50 shipping and handling.

If you ever need to define the word definitive, just refer to this book as a classic example of what it means. The Stanley Steamer is as ingrained into the American consciousness as the Grand Canyon, the Washington Monument and the New York Yankees are, and this book reaches into every corner of its remarkable story.

It takes nineteen chapters, supplemented by nine appendices, to develop the Stanley story, and they have been carefully crafted into an absorbing narrative that traces the family’s roots back to the beginning of the nineteenth century. From their childhood in northern Maine the Stanley bothers developed into ingenious "Yankee" businessmen of substance before they even began to think of building cars.

The following chapters document the development and decline of the steam automobile business in complete and fascinating fashion. But that is not all. The other interests of the brothers and their families are woven into the story to present a well-rounded view of how life was lived by prosperous families in New England in the early twentieth century. Music, dancing, violin making, building, vacationing are all a part of the story.

There is an immense amount of detail, but it is all so well integrated into the overall story that the reader’s interest never flags. The automotive and technical aspects are well told, thoroughly illustrated and supported by much specific data in the accompanying appendices. Much of the research involved in developing these parts of the book was done by H. James Merrick of the Stanley Museum staff.

• Fred Roe