"Modelářské Motory" (Model Engines) is a Czech-language book written by the prominent Czech model engine historian Jiří Kalina and illustrated with photographs by Hugo Markes. It was originally published in Prague in 1980, but translations were subsequently released in German and Russian.

Although its coverage is somewhat slanted towards engines from Czechoslovakia (as Czechia was then) and other Eastern European countries, the book includes coverage of engines from a wide range of countries on both sides of the then-existing Iron Curtain. It contains a considerable amount of text relating to the included engines, making it an extremely valuable historical reference. The use of present-day scanning and translation technology renders this information fully accessible to all interested parties. The book reflects an impressive amount of painstaking research by its author.

It has to be admitted that the soft-cover book is printed on paper of somehat marginal quality and is bound rather "delicately" - after many years of use, my copy is showing definite signs of wear and tear! However, it remains completely readable - I've referred to it frequently in developing my articles on Eastern European and Russian subjects of the classic era. After all, its author was many decades closer to the matters covered than I am!

Although long out of print, copies of various editions of this book still appear periodically on eBay and elsewhere. It's a fascinating tour of the model engine world which will definitely justify its acquisition by any serious model engine enthusiast!