Brunel: The Man Who Built the World

by Steven Brindle, Dan Cruickshank (Introduction)

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, this new biography tracks the life and achievements of this Victorian-era genius. A fascinating portrait of ambition and innovation, Brunel provides ample evidence to support the claim that Brunel was indeed “the man who built the world.”

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Engineering, Technology, Victorian

197 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2005

Reviews

[Gok · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could this guy not do. He designed bridges. He designed trains. And the track by the way. He designed the largest ship in the world, at that time. He started off working on the first tunnel that went under the Thames.

A very interesting read. I didn’t really know too much about the details.

It’s not too long a book, and gives a brief history of his work and life.

[Tim Corke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually these biographical accounts are longwinded, technical and very detailed that often detracts from the overall enjoyment of reading about the subject. I'm pleased to say that Brindle and Cruickshank have avoided this pitfall and created an interesting and readable account of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's life and career.

Designed with the reader in mind, Brunel: The Man Who Built The World is split into chapters that document the key elements of his career; Early Life, Railways, Ships, etc. Given the breadth and tenacity of Brunel's career these areas often overlap but the book calmly references and joins up the dates to present a compelling and fascinating read behind Britain's 2nd greatest Briton.

His life is a real inspiration about innovation, creativity learning, overcoming the odds, devout self-confidence and utter self-belief about what is right. Whilst his people management style would be frowned upon in today's society, what Brunel achieved and the impact this had on the world around him is nothing short of remarkable.

[Adam Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I paid £2.49 for this at my local Oxfam shop one wet afternoon. It’s the best money I’ve spent in a long while and a fascinating if brief view into one of the most important characters in our country’s industrial development. I simply can’t imagine how Brunel worked with unimaginable intensity and accuracy over such a long period in what were difficult and dangerous conditions. I would recommend this to anyone who has a passing interest in engineering design & hard work probably best kept away from the NIBY & Woke enthusiasts.

[Ryan Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 2005, this historical account of England's finest engineer remains a very good read. Long after his death, Brunels engineering feats, which include railway tracks, bridges, and boards are still visible in England and this fascinating read made me want to learn more.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but heavy going in parts.

[Cathrine Hoffner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I was interested in the subject matter, that is the technological and engineering advancements of the British Industrial Revolution, not because I was interested in Brunel himself. And that is also how I left the book. I found it particularly fascinating to read about the construction of the Thames Tunnel and the SS Great Eastern, but Brunel himself is not, in my opinion, that fascinating. As the author also makes a point of emphasizing, he was “a man of his time”, meaning here a man of business and some skill who was unable to appreciate the effort of his peers and respect the thousands of skilled workers who brought his many designs to life. He was an abusive workaholic, but I wouldn’t mind reading about that type of person, except for the fact that Brindle often either glosses over the fact or even glorifies it. Instead of reading a book such as this which makes the point that a man like Brunel could never have been produced by a society such as ours, so attentive to regulations, safety, consensus and the environment (and thank goodness for all that!), I should very much have liked to have read one that closer examined the social and economic mechanisms that enabled men like Brunel to thrive in the industrial world of Georgian and Victorian Britain.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living in Oxford and being in the habit of catching frequent trains along the Great Western Railway, it’s hard not to become, by a process of attrition, very much aware of the extraordinarily-named Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

By degrees, I became fascinated enough to read a biography of this heroic, frenetic, Victorian visionary of multiple disciplines: he was surveyor, civil engineer, mechanical engineer, architect, ship designer - and he excelled at them all.

The Great Western Railway, especially the main line from London Paddington to Bristol, with its sweeping viaducts and bridges, is his most lasting legacy, and has long been considered for UNESCO World Heritage status.

His shipbuilding career was just as remarkable in its way. He produced the biggest ships of his day and pioneered the use of iron as a hull material; and the propeller, as more efficient than the paddle wheel. The miraculously surviving and restored SS Great Britain, at Bristol, is a fitting tribute.

Steven Brindle’s readable book is a short, succinct and exciting biography of the most famous, and perhaps the greatest, engineer the world has ever known.

[Daniel Greear · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book and I was excited to read it, but I could barely get through it and had to skim over much of it. I rarely ever give books anything less than three stars, but I can't even give this that many.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (what a name!) was probably the greatest engineer in history. He's not well-known in America, but he's seen as one of the greatest Britons to ever live (per a BBC survey), ranking only after Churchill. He was responsible for designing several great ships, quite a few train stations, and numerous railroad bridges and many other things in the early part of the 19th century. His works, such as Paddington Station, can still be seen today in Bath, Bristol, and London.

Much of this book was far too technical, however, the chapter on Brunel's ships was very interesting and readable. Luckily, this was short and still interesting at times. I just don't think it was well-written overall.

[Oliver Hepburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, short, and concise book about the greatest engineer the world has ever known. Isambard Kingdom Brunel transformed the landscape of Britain like no one else before or since, and his story should continue to be told. If you are unfamiliar with the work of Brunel, or you only know the general pub quiz trivia facts about him, then this book is the perfect starting point to delve a little deeper. It covers everything from the life of his father and Isambard’s school days, right up to his death and later legacy. It sticks to the important talking points, and provides the reader with a good sense of the importance of Brunel, even if one didn’t know about him previously. Definitely not the in-depth and detailed biography I was personally looking for, but I’m nonetheless happy I read it.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief look at one of the countries greatest pioneering engineers. The book covers his childhood and a brief look at his fathers career followed by his own family and early life.
Brief coverage of his achievements and his not so successful experiments such as the atmospheric railway.
Not overly technical which other books on similar subjects are but seems to lack more detail on how he built or came up with some of his great achievements such as the Saltash Bridge and most of the GWR.
Worth a quick read if you want to gain a bit more knowledge on this great figure from the British Empire.

[Callum Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book.

I found this in a charity shop a while back and I was drawn to it as I felt it would be a nice read that links to my civil engineering course at university. I must say this book has made me realise how little I knew about Brunel despite his legendary status. I love how so much is covered in less than 200 pages and I would definitely recommend this book as it is an interesting read.

[R.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book about the life and work of this larger than life genius of Victorian engineering. Brindle writes with an extremely engaging style, drawing on Brunel's own letters and diaries to build insight into his subject's character and the fierce work ethic that drove him to achieve so much in a relatively short time.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging biography of the life of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who built bridges, tunnels, railroads, and steamships in the early days of the Victorian period. At the behest of Florence Nightingale, he also designed a portable hospital for use during the Crimean War. This portable hospital greatly reduced the number of deaths from disease. A remarkable read.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book reads more like a textbook than a biography, with extensive pictures throughout and focusing more on details than story. It makes for a thorough collection of Brunel's various engineering projects, but a somewhat confusing organization. The chapters are based on projects rather than chronology so sometimes events are described multiple times.

[Reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

Great book portraying the extraordinary achievements of a extremely impressive engineer and individual. An important tail to be shared to future aspiring engineers. Highly recommended.

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow Dry information about this outstanding engineer.

The book brings useful information (many times 'dry) about both Brunel´s, Marc and Isambard. Mostly concerning the last.

When I visit Britain, I will surely look for to visit some of his projects, like the SS Great Britain in Briston.

[Jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't often read non fiction but I read this as a Book Club book. I found it easy to read and enjoyed it. I learned a lot about Brunel, his life, achievements, influence on the railways and engineering during his lifetime.

[Dan Vine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction,very readable.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insights and IMO invaluable lessons for startups today! Start from first principles.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting read. Brunels achievements are amazing. However this book also explores the darker side to his nature.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great introduction to the life and work of I.K. Brunel.

To note - this edition of the book is about 180 pages, not 288 as listed in the Goodreads info.

[Samuel Ewetade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really insightful into the world of Brunel and origins of the railway. Would definitely recommend for Civil Engineers.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe and I'm glad I did. It is very well written and concise. I recommend it to anyone interested in the 19th Century.

[Peter Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

For any railway or engineer fan who wants to know more about one of the most famous names in the business of both.

[Charlotte Seager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting but a little too in-depth at points for me.

[Rahul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great photos. Wish it had more details of Brunels' analytic work (which is where they broke away from English engineering and were more aligned with the French approach)

[Richard Spindle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stove pipe hats and big ideas. Brilliant.

[John Newcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brunel built a lot and was very clever. This is a slim biography confirming that this is the case. It makes you want to know more.

[Matthew Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the life of Brunel but some of the technical information would be best left out, I would have given it 3.5 if I could but I’ve erred on 3 with this.

However it’s short and concise so any of the heavy information isn’t heavily detailed and you get a sense of him and his family in this book.

[Stephen Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read, strongly recommended. It is a beautiful book with many beautiful illustrations, but contains an engaging account of the life of the engineer who was famous in his day and rightly remains so, for his vision, single-mindedness, and the quality of his output in railways (the Great Western Railway in particular), bridges, and ships.

It also fits a gap often missing in biography, between a couple of paragraphs and a 400-page tome. This is almost 300 pages, but with the many illustrations the thorough text reaches an excellent balance for the generalist who wants to know more about the man, but doesn't need to know about the life-history of the maid he employed when aged 31. While there is some background about his personal life, the focus, rightly, is on his engineering and the extraordinary professional life of a brilliant man.