This is the true story of one headstrong man, a genius amongst the clever.  With the minimum of technical detail it tells of a life spent in the promotion of his dream, the high-pressure steam engine, and recounts the efforts of those who tried to help him while exposing others who attempted to thwart him.

This true narrative involves people throughout the country and some abroad.  They range from the highest in the land to the miner at the bottom of his shaft. Incredible success is balanced by deception and intrigue.  Danger exists from explosion, civil war, flood, wild animals, naval bombardment, fever and disease. Rewards in millions of pounds by today’s values are matched by similar losses.

As in any highly charged adventure story, there are tales of greed, illicit passion, drugs, unrequited love, brutality, drunkenness, death and sadness.  There is intrigue as the trusted Brutus pulls a cloak over the wound to hide his dastardly deed.

Our hero achieved what he set out to do but he probably did not realise just how well he had accomplished his ambitions.  He left the world full of his amazing inventions but he was practically unknown, and his pockets were empty.

Richard Trevithick was a dedicated, single minded Cornishman.  At the time of this story, Cornwall was the centre of the mining world and the development of industrial machinery; it was suitably rich as a result.  Almost all the titled people, heroines, sub-heroes, super-villains, sub-villains, bystanders and artisans were also Cornish.  There are many fictional stories written about Cornwall but few can rival this saga of what happened to Richard Trevithick.

Hardback and jacketed, this 340 pp book will be read repeatedly and used for reference.  At £30.00 it is available this week in bookshops and Post Free direct from the Trevithick Society/Oblivion, P.O. Box 62, Camborne TR14 7ZN