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Fifty Things That Changed the Course of History
Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History
The most significant machines of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History is a fascinating survey of the mechanical devices that propelled 18th-century society into the 19th and 20th centuries.
The book celebrates more than 200 years of technological development at the height of the Industrial Revolution. These are not generic inventions but rather specific, branded machines whose names in many cases have become synonymous with the machine or its purpose.
The entries fall into eight categories relating to their sphere of influence: Industry, Agriculture, Media, Transport, Science, Computing, Energy and Home. Concise text describes the machines, what led to their invention, and the effects on society. Annotated diagrams, illustrations, photographs and "Key Feature" insets enrich the coverage.
These are a few of the 50 machines described:
Stephenson's Rocket (1829), the first locomotive designed for passenger transport Harrison power loom (1851) produced the bulk of the world's cotton cloth during the First Industrial Revolution Westinghouse alternating current system (1887) brought electrical power and lighting to homes and workplaces Hoover suction sweeper (1908) revolutionized domestic cleaning Lumiere cine projector (1896) and Marconi radio (1897) together heralded the dawn of the media age Baird "Televiso" (1930), the first television set More recently, the Motorola DynaTAC cellphone (1983) ensured that we would always be able to "phone home." Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History is perfect for history buffs and anyone who is fascinated by the complexity and beauty of mechanical devices.
Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History is a fascinating survey of the mechanical devices that propelled 18th-century society into the 19th and 20th centuries.
The book celebrates more than 200 years of technological development at the height of the Industrial Revolution. These are not generic inventions but rather specific, branded machines whose names in many cases have become synonymous with the machine or its purpose.
The entries fall into eight categories relating to their sphere of influence: Industry, Agriculture, Media, Transport, Science, Computing, Energy and Home. Concise text describes the machines, what led to their invention, and the effects on society. Annotated diagrams, illustrations, photographs and "Key Feature" insets enrich the coverage.
These are a few of the 50 machines described:
Stephenson's Rocket (1829), the first locomotive designed for passenger transport Harrison power loom (1851) produced the bulk of the world's cotton cloth during the First Industrial Revolution Westinghouse alternating current system (1887) brought electrical power and lighting to homes and workplaces Hoover suction sweeper (1908) revolutionized domestic cleaning Lumiere cine projector (1896) and Marconi radio (1897) together heralded the dawn of the media age Baird "Televiso" (1930), the first television set More recently, the Motorola DynaTAC cellphone (1983) ensured that we would always be able to "phone home." Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History is perfect for history buffs and anyone who is fascinated by the complexity and beauty of mechanical devices.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published October 11, 2012
2 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Eric Chaline
41 books20 followersAuthor, journalist and editor, winner of the Lord Aberdare Prize, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 1, 2013
Nice introduction to important inventions. A simple book, with couple of pages per machine. My seven-year-old son who likes machines and inventions liked the book a lot, so I'd say this is a pretty good introduction to the topic for school-aged kids, or adults looking for something light to read. It's easy to read a chapter or two every now and then.
September 24, 2015
FIFTY MACHINES is a fun, thought-provoking book that talks about a variety of machines (since the Industrial Revolution) that changed society in a dramatic way. The author covers a wide range of devices. Everything from the first brick cell-phone to washing machines; from the Jacquard loom to the electron microscope... and more.
Machines get at a minimum, 2 pages which present a little bit about who invented them and why; as well as what changes they evoked and what people thought about them. There are diagrams and pictures.
There's no real introduction that provides a deep and meaningful backdrop to how tools and machines have changed the world. Instead the author just jumps off and begins talking about them, dropping hints about the ramifications as he goes.
Well written, there is no worry that the reader is going to be over-whelmed by too-much information. Instead this is the type of book you might pick up and read a quick chapter at any time.
Fun book. Would make a fine addition to a school or classroom library. Or to the shelves of someone with a nascent interest in machines. Not a book for someone interesting in in-depth research.
Machines get at a minimum, 2 pages which present a little bit about who invented them and why; as well as what changes they evoked and what people thought about them. There are diagrams and pictures.
There's no real introduction that provides a deep and meaningful backdrop to how tools and machines have changed the world. Instead the author just jumps off and begins talking about them, dropping hints about the ramifications as he goes.
Well written, there is no worry that the reader is going to be over-whelmed by too-much information. Instead this is the type of book you might pick up and read a quick chapter at any time.
Fun book. Would make a fine addition to a school or classroom library. Or to the shelves of someone with a nascent interest in machines. Not a book for someone interesting in in-depth research.
January 30, 2022
List-books are fun, especially when splashed with good photographs, idea/trivia boxes, separate time lines and easily readable narratives. This was a quick read with some very good entries, especially on Stephenson’s Tocket engine, Rover safety bike (early bikes were called ‘dandy-horse’), Underwood typewriter (first one where the typed letter was visible as it was being typed), Zeppelin (US banned Helium export to Germany in 1938 - contributed to downfall of airships), Nipkow disk, V2 (“polocy of unilateral disarmament” - was so wasteful!), Ampex tape recorder (weird connection between Hitler and Bing Crosby!), Walkman (launched as ‘Soundabout’ in US and ‘Stowaway’ in Australia), Motorola Startac (took its name from flip-top communicator in Star Trek).
May 16, 2023
It’s a good way to get a huge overview on how we’ve progressed and I appreciate the overarching themes about how really these pieces are indicative of a movement rather than groundbreaking works that exist independent of their context. Some have even called this “the best book”. I found myself wishing that the entries followed more similar formatting styles. The author really just picked stories he liked which made for entertaining reading but left me wondering about certain aspects of pieces.
December 5, 2016
50 cool machines with the history behind them and some sort of diagram of the machine with more technical information.
Sometimes includes a timeline of other similar machines or those that led to the invention of this machine.
Sometimes includes a timeline of other similar machines or those that led to the invention of this machine.
Want to read
March 15, 2014it will be a useful book..we can get good knowledge about machines by reading this book..
March 14, 2015
Lacks story and explanation. No bigger picture
February 6, 2019
Including half a star for acknowledging Rosalind Franklin’s role in the understanding of DNA.
February 14, 2021
UK/Commonwealth perspective, which might explain the inclusion of an Australian gas lawnmower.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews