The engineering firm Richard Garrett & Sons Ltd of Leiston, Suffolk, began as bladesmiths and edge-tool manufacturers in 1789; by the mid-19th century the company was famous for its threshing machines and portable steam engines. Following his history of the company, RA Whitehead wrote a series of immensely detailed, illustrated books on its various manufactures: this volume deals with the early (undertype) steam wagons, then traces the story of the overtypes up to 1927.