The story of the 19th-century ice trade, in which ice from the lakes of New England - valued for its incredible purity - revolutionised domestic life around the world.
The intriguing story of how wireless was invented by Guglielmo Marconi - and how it amused Queen Victoria, saved the lives of the Titanic survivors, tracked down criminals and began the radio revolution.
International in its sweep, vivid in its execution and original in its argument, this 'meticulous and fascinating' (Guardian) account of the worldwide industrial revolution.
This witty and inspiring book chronicles the long history of discovery and ingenuity which gave rise to a "eureka moment" when a dream of invention became a reality for the first time Tracing the long pre-history of five twentieth-century inventions which have transformed our lives, Gavin Weightman reveals a fantastic cast of scientists and inspired amateurs whose ingenuity has given us the airplane, television, bar code, personal computer, an...
In 1885 the editor of the Pall Mall Gazette published an account of a girl of thirteen being sold by her mother to a brothel, where her virginity would be highly prized. The editor was W T Stead, and his audacious scoop was telegraphed around the world. What became know as the story of the £5 virgin - the price that Stead claimed had been paid for the girl - was a sensation, one of the greatest scandals of the Victorian era.But was the story a...
BBC TWO's Restoration Home goes on an extraordinary journey of discovery with six new owners of crumbling listed buildings, as they restore them into beautiful 21st Century homes, and uncover, layer by layer, a rich and detailed history of the house and its former occupants.
This witty and inspiring book chronicles the long history of discovery and ingenuity which gave rise to a "eureka moment" when a dream of invention became a reality for the first time
In this vivid, sweeping history of the industrial revolution, Weightman shows how, in less than 150 years, a world made of wood, powered by animals, wind, and water was made into something entirely new, forged of steel and iron, and powered by steam and fossil fuels.
Weightman tells the story of the frozen-water trade through the remarkable life of Frederick Tudor, the wealthy Boston "Ice King" who had a crucial role in establishing this booming industry in 19th-century America.
