One of the great minds of the 19th century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was responsible for some of the most impressive engineering feats of his day. By the age of 26, he had been appointed chief engineer of the Great Western Railway, linking Bristol to London. His love of steamships led him to build a series of revolutionary vessels, including the Great Britain--the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. Illustrated with a wealth of blueprints, drawings, and rare photographs, celebrated British television personality Jeremy Clarkson's new biography tracks the life and achievements of this Victorian-era genius. A fascinating portrait of ambition and innovation, Clarkson's book provides ample evidence to support the claim that Brunel was indeed "the man who built the world."
Brunel: The Man Who Built the World (Phoenix Press)
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From Publishers Weekly
The title, at first, seems impossibly hyperbolic, because it is: Isambard Kingdom Brunel did not, in fact, build the world. However, the things he did build-steamships, bridges, tunnels, train stations-are staggering feats that continue to influence civil engineering today. This book's strength lies in its well thought-out organization: rather than a play-by-play recount of Brunel's life and times, the author organizes chapters according to different genres of his work, separating, for instance, railways from bridges and "The Three Great Ships." Exquisite historical photos, including elegantly rendered fold-out illustrations depicting the plan Brunel drew for the Thames Tunnel, give remarkable insight into the mind of the engineer and his preparation for the project. But, as evidenced by the book's overblown subtitle, the writing suffers lapses into hyperbole: "Brunel's genius had conceived her, his charisma had foisted this vision onto his dazzled contemporaries, including Scott Russell, and lured the money out of their pockets," Brindle writes of the steamship Great Eastern. Brindle, ever the steadfastly enthusiastic guide, in loading this book with illustrations and reproductions, has given engineers and history buffs much to appreciate. 100 color illustrations, 50 b/w photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
'The illustrations in this book are quite outstanding... the book's design and reproduction quality make it an invaluable document of record.' BUILDING DESIGN 'suitably monumental... the supreme strength of this book is its beatuy and visual scholarship... after reading this wonderful work all should concur that Brunel can lay claim to the title of Britain's greatest engineer' -- Tristram Hunt HISTORY TODAY 'Packed both with interesting facts and rare illustrations... Brindle has produced an excellent book that is not only accessible but is genuinely riveting stuff, and I'd highly recommend it' RAIL 'excellent... Steven Brindle's book is immensley readable... contains a fantastic collection of images... It is a book to be read straight through, and then to dip into again and again.' THE VICTORIAN 'This is truly the finest biography of his life published to date: with accessible and informative text illuminated by a wide variety of images' FAMILY HISTORY MONTHLY
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brunel, his life
Feb 19 2010
By Dr. Brian Wilson
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book giving a most comprehensive and well illustrated account of the man and his work. It seems to have become rare, having only been published for a few years. Thus it was difficult to obtain a copy. I bought one for myself immediately it was published and was so impressed by the book that I wished to buy a copy as a present. I could only find one in the U.S.A.
Amazon is a good source of out-of-print books and can be recommended.
Amazon is a good source of out-of-print books and can be recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
more good Brunel!
Jan 27 2011
By J. R. Pitman
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book, for me, provides much missing info on Brunel pere, which I had looked for in vain. Also a new perspective on Isambard, which complements the earlier Rolt biography I read years ago.
Well worth the read for anybody interested in the industrial revolution or engineering in general.
jp
Well worth the read for anybody interested in the industrial revolution or engineering in general.
jp
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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