Dreams of Iron and Steel - by Deborah Cadbury (Paperback)

About the Book

The eagerly awaited new book from the author of "The Lost King of France." This is the story of how the modern world was forged--in rivets, grease and steam; in blood, sweat and human imagination.

From the Back Cover

A world that had changed little from the Middle Ages was altered beyond recognition by the pioneering genius of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In Dreams of Iron and Steel, acclaimed historian Deborah Cadbury tells the heroic tale of the visionaries and ordinary workers who brought to life seven great wonders of the world that still have the power to awe and inspire us today. Fueled by Deborah Cadbury's characteristic scholarship and insight, this extraordinary chronicle re-creates the human odyssey of how our modern world was forged not only with rivets, grease, and steam but also with blood, sweat, and extreme imagination.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Review Quotes

"Engrossing...DREAMS OF IRON AND STEEL celebrates the triumphs not just of engineering but of the questing human spirit." - Stephen Fox, author of Transatlantic
"Smoothly written and informative...Cadbury manages the not-inconsiderable feat of writing lucidly about complex scientific and technological matters, and she marches briskly through each of these seven dramatic narratives...thrilling." - Washington Post
"Cadbury has a knack for providing interesting asides...an engaging and informative read." - San Francisco Chronicle
"A fascinating look at the technological triumphs of the in the nineteenth century." - Booklist
"An engaging and informative read." - San Francisco Chronicle