Gas Turbines

This is a great book for the amateur and historian. Taking a very qualitative approach, rather than the dry quantitative approach of some others, this gives a great grounding. It's really two books; the first is a spinner-to-jetpipe explanation of the machine. The second is a history from Whittle to the present. In Gunston's typical manner, it's a broad history, looking equally at all makers and not ignoring the Soviet developments.

Despite the less-formal technical slant, this is a great explanation of the theory.

If you read only one book on gas turbines, make it this one

Supposedly a book on building your own gas turbine, suitable for RC model aircraft, it has a lot more to offer. The description of gas dynamics is ne of the most approachable I've seen. It also presents a good argument for why the centrifugal compressor is the most approriate type for smaller engines.

This book takes a "fitter's view" of the jet engine. It's an easy read, and beautifully illustrated with large clear line drawings on each page.

There is little historical information in this book, which is a pity. Clearly its target is the present, not the past. Each chapter is introduced with an old photograph and a current sectioned view, but that's as far as it goes. Only Rolls-Royce engines are described, although that includes all of the previous British engine builders. I'd very much have liked to see a timeline, or even a current range of their engines.