Book Description
"There have been numerous books written about the development of the steamship but most deal with vessels built after Robert Fulton's commercial success of 1807 in America. Very few contain more than a line or so on the many earlier attempts made, and these at best only briefly mention William Symington. Both Fulton and Symington were contemporaries in their early but seperate endeavours between 1785 and 1807. Neither were commercially successful by Symingtons last vessel of 1803 and possibly his penultimate one of 1801, were the technical equal of the vessel built by Fulton in 1807." -- from dust jacket.