A celebration of the life and engineering achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel by two of the world's foremost authorities. In his lifetime, Isambard Kingdom Brunel towered over his profession. Today, he remains the most famous engineer in history, the epitome of the volcanic creative forces which brought about the Industrial Revolution - and brought modern society into being. Brunel's extraordinary talents were drawn out by some remarkable opportunities - above all his appointment as engineer to the new Great Western Railway at the age of 26 - but it was his nature to take nothing for granted, and to look at every project, whether it was the longest railway yet planned, or the largest ship ever imagined, from first principles. A hard taskmaster to those who served him, he ultimately sacrificed his own life to his work in his tragically early death at the age of 53. His legacy, though, is all around us, in the railways and bridges that he personally designed, and in his wider influence. This fascinating new book draws on Brunel's own diaries, letters and sketchbooks to understand his life, times, and work.

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"Brunel" tells the story both of the engineer and of the man in the context of his times. It explores his successes and failures, at home and abroad, including both the broad gauge Great Western Railway and the SS Great Eastern, bringing out Brunel's imagination, drive and inventiveness.

Few people can have had such a dramatic impact on Britain than Isambard Kingdom Brunel. More than many kings, warriors and politicians, this icon of the Victorian age transformed not just the landscape of a nation but left a lasting legacy of physical monuments and dynamic innovation that together played a major part in turning Britain into a superpower. Rather than a conventional biography of Brunel’s life, this unique book shows how this most famous of engineers revolutionised transport, industry and much more through the story of his achievements – his grand designs, innovations and technological breakthroughs. It explores in fascinating detail Brunel’s great bridges, tunnels, railways and stations; it charts how he came to revolutionise shipping with evermore ambitious projects; it examines the remarkable contribution Brunel made in other fields including construction, town planning and military applications; and it looks at the brave but flawed schemes that didn’t quite succeed but which were still testimony to his genius, as well as considering his lasting legacy. Superbly illustrated and packed with facts, detail and key information, this is a fresh and fascinating look at the extraordinary achievements of a truly great man.

The first book to provide an overview of all of Brunel’s vessels, richly illustrated, and endorsed by the SS Great Britain Trust.