I have a copy and found it very interesting, I suppose if you're only interested in the machines themselves it would be less so.
If you have the historical bent Google Harry Ricado, the man behind the 'Cold Start' System.
If I could pick my date of birth I'd move it back to 1855, 100 years, the birth of the internal combustion engine, a period I would have loved to have lived through. Although given my luck I'd have probably ended up on a horse at Rorkes Drift!
Cheers
Stef