The Men who Invented Britain

The book is a collection of essays on significant figures in Britain's industrial powerhouse, with drawings, patents, and photography. It covers 250 years, from James Brindley's canal-building to Henry Bessemer's steel-making, and includes influential engineers such as James Watt, James Nasmyth, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and William Arrol.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 15 October 2024
Publisher: Whittles Publishing

The book is a captivating collection of inter-linked essays, each dedicated to a remarkable figure who played a significant role in shaping Britain's rise as an industrial powerhouse during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Enriched with drawings, patents, early historic images, and John Hannavy's acclaimed original contemporary photography of the machines and buildings that were instrumental in this historical journey, the book offers a visually stunning exploration of the engineers who contributed to this remarkable era. The engineers are presented chronologically, with connections that span back and forth, revealing the influences that shaped their work and the impact they had on those who followed in their footsteps. Many of these engineers worked towards similar goals, either collaboratively, in parallel, or sequentially, and their legacies continue to be felt in modern-day Britain. This book follows in the footsteps of Samuel Smiles, the inventor and popularizer of the industrial biography, and covers a vast period of approximately 250 years, from James Brindley's early canal-building endeavors to John Smeaton's Eddystone Lighthouse, James Watt's steam engines, James Nasmyth's steam hammer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel's iron ships, and Henry Bessemer's steel-making, to William Arrol's bridges. Along the way, it also includes notable figures such as William Fairbairn, William Murdoch, Thomas Telford, William Jessop, John Rennie, John Scott Russell, the Lighthouse Stevensons, the Railway Stephensons, William Armstrong, and many others. With its wealth of illustrations and accessible narrative, this book provides a comprehensive account of the key players in this pivotal era of Britain's industrial development, making it an essential read for anyone interested in the history of engineering and industrialization.

Dimension: 280 x 210 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781849955683