They Made Britain Great

Adam Hart-Davis offers a fascinating insight into some of the titans of British history; the nineteenth century engineers who transformed the country and the world through their drive, determination and innovative thinking. These are the men who powered the Industrial Revolution and laid the foundations for the technology of the modern world.

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They pioneered new techniques, invented new machines, built roads, canals, bridges, railways, and lighthouses, and devised new standards for guns, sewers, and nuts and bolts. By the end of the nineteenth century their innovations had put Britain on top of the world, and laid the foundations for the technology of the twentieth century.

In this book, Adam Hart-Davis explores the stories behind these engineers who drove Britain forward and transformed the world. Profiling well known names including Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Thomas Telford, as well as less heralded figures including Henry Maudsley, the founding father of machine tool technology.

This entertaining narrative, full of colourful characters and astonishing innovations, will delight anybody with an interest in the history of technology, the Industrial Revolution, or Britain’s incredible rise to world superpower.