This is a paperbound reprint of a 2002 book. Hege, an automotive technician in North Carolina, was born in 1957, about the same time that the first Wankel engine was being developed in West Germany. A recent--and rare--opportunity at his workplace to tear down a Mazda rotary engine increased his curiosity about the Wankel engine. Finding no comprehensive work on the Wankel, Hege was inspired to create one himself. Here he pieces together information from company press releases, published papers by engineers, and articles in science and automotive publications to create a chronological story of the Wankel, from its beginnings to the present day. The author has turned his personal interest into an informative text exploring the history of the Wankel engine and the people involved in its development. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)