Bill the Minder: Whimsical Adventures and Inventive Contraptions

by W. Heath Robinson

"Bill the Minder" by W. Heath Robinson. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2011

About the author

William Heath Robinson (31 May 1872 - 13 September 1944) was an English cartoonist and illustrator best known for drawings of ridiculously complicated machines for achieving simple objectives.

His brothers, Thomas Heath Robinson and Charles Robinson were also artists.

In the U.K., the term "Heath Robinson" entered the language during the 1914–1918 First World War as a description of any unnecessarily complex and implausible contrivance, much as "Rube Goldberg machines" came to be used in the U.S. from the 1930s onwards as a term for similar efforts. "Heath Robinson contraption" is perhaps more often used in relation to temporary fixes using ingenuity and whatever is to hand, often string and tape, or unlikely cannibalisations. Its continuing popularity was undoubtedly linked to Second World War Britain's shortages and the need to "make do and mend".

Reviews

[Cormac · Rating 5 out of 5]

The original print version of this book (1912) is an absolute treasure: comic, imaginative, beautifully illustrated. I cannot imagine it on Kindle!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book! It's a classic, best available as an e-book. It tells the story of a Minder (babysitter) in England, who gathers unusual people on his travels. The illustrations are amazing!