History of Oil Well Drilling

This giant book contains almost 1,500 pages and covers well drilling from prehistoric times to 1971, which is the book's publication date. It is divided into two parts; part one covers drilling methods and part two covers drilling equipment. While a definitive work on drilling history, it is not without fault. It was not edited well (if at all) for it is has many grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Moreover, it seems to rely more on anecdotes and heresay rather than solid historical research. It is, however, well illustrated, even if some of the drawings and photos are reproduced poorly. Although the book has faults, I nevertheless highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know about drilling history. "History of Oil Well Drilling" will likely tell you more than you'll ever want to know.