This list contains books I found and books suggested by readers of the page.
Thank you for your recomendations.

Steam Engine Literature

[1] 'Cornish Pumping Engines, And Rotative Beam Engines'

The booklet describs all Cornish Engines being preserved up to 1953. All engines are described, accompanied by some pictures each. Most interesting are the valve gear pictures.

[2] 'The Power Of Steam'

An easy to read history book with many pictures, a good introduction of where steam engines come from.

[3] 'Geschichte der Dampfmaschine: ihre kulturelle Bedeutung, techn. Entwicklung u. ihre grossen Maenner'

Many construction sketches of early Watt machines, many explanations of how it all works.

[4] 'The Cornish Beam Engine'

Historic facts and details on Cornish Beam engines, their dury in the last century, their
manufacturers and much more. With many pictures and photographs.

[5] 'Cornwall's Engine Houses'

Many construction sketches of early Watt machines, many explanations of how it all works.

[6] 'Cornish Engines & The Men Who Handeled Them'

No pictures, but a whole lot of stories , some very funny, some quite sad.

[7] 'Illustrated Catalogue of Pumping and Winding Engines,
   And other Plant used for Mining Purposes, ...
   Williams' Perran Foundy Co.'

The catalog looks as if you could order today! There wasn't anything like
photographs in those days, so the pictures are all copper plate prints.

[8] 'Power from steam'

Giving a thourough overview of the evolution of the steam engine, it lacks a chapter on the cornish engine. But with many pictures and interesting technical facts and citations, it is a valuable book. (The ISBN number is for the paperback)
 

[9] 'Historic Industrial Scenes Series: The Steam Engine In Industry - Mining and Metal Trades'

Photographic survey made by the author before so many of the machines pictured were scrapped!  Chapters on
winding, pumping ventalation engines used in the mines as well as steam machinery in other industries.  There is a
complete section on Cornish beam engines including a rare photograph of the 70' engine at Hodbarrow Iron Mine,
Cumbria, built 1878, the last surviving example of a Cornish beam engine made by the Perran Foundry.

There is also another volume in the same series The Steam Engine in Industry - Public Services a
photographic survey covering steam engines used in public services such as water supply, sewage disposal etc.
Out of print, I think.
 

[10] 'A Guide to Stationary Steam Engines'

LIstings of preserved sites with public access on a regular basis, engines in museums (public and private) or on
public display, on site preservation (access on open days) and on site opreservation (access by arrangement only).
Engine histories are included together with addresses of the many locations worth visiting in the British Isles.  Many
photographs and glossary.
 

 [11] 'Steam Engines and Waterwheels - a pictorial study of some early mining machinery'

The book has sections on Cornish pumping engines, rotary engines, winding engines and Cornish engines outside
Cornwall.  Illustrated with many photographs from the author's own collection.  Mr Woodall is a veteran model
maker who has studied the technical aspects of Cornish engines in minute detail (he includes an explanation of the
Cornish engine cycle, for example).  The photographs reproduced in the book are unique as the author began his
photography in the 1930s when many engines were still at work, especially in the St Austell china clay district.

The book's title is slightly misleading: there is not much about waterwheels!
 

[Mining Literature

[40] 'Cornish Mining-Underground'

The pictures in this small book give a good impression of the pitworks in Cornwall. It is very impressive to see, how the working conditions were in the last century. The most shocking sentence to me was the last one of the book, under a picture of a huge cave with some men having candels on their hats: 'The brief illumination for Burrow's photograph would have been the only time these men saw the great cave they had created.'. So they had steam to pump, candels to give light, cornish pastries for lunch, and only their hands and some hammers to work.

[41] 'Cornish Mining-at Surface'

Besides the steam engines, there were many other things on the surface of a mine to process the ore, in order to receive tin or copper in the end.

[42] 'The Cornish Mining Industry'

[43] 'East Pool & Agar - A Cornish Mining Legend'

The story of one mine, where the engine I modelled was working.

[44] 'Tales of the Cornish Miners'

Some stories.

[45] 'Cornish Mining Heritage'

General overview of mining in Cornwall, from geological aspects to engines and miners. With a list of remaining buildings.

Other Books of related Topics

[100] 'Ironworking'

Somewhere, the iron for the huge steam engines had to come from, so this book illustrates, how the iron was developed.

[101] 'Blaenavon Ironworks'

This is not the actual place the iron for the steam engines came from, but it might well be. Furthe r more, a very early Boulton&Watt was serving as an air pump to the blast furnaces. So, without iron - no steam engine, without steam engines - not enough iron to build more steam engines!

Roland Wagener , Ortsmuehle 3 , D-44227 Dortmund , Germany