Bøger i Cambridge Library Collection - Technology serien

Sir John Fowler (1817-98) was one of the great railway engineers, remembered particularly for the development of the Forth Bridge and London's underground railway. As a portrait of one of the architects of Victorian Britain, this biography, published in 1900, will be of great interest to historians of the period.

One of the most popular Victorian writers, Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) made his name with Self-Help (1859) and his Lives of the Engineers (1861-2). Left incomplete at his death but published in 1905, his straightforward and unpretentious autobiography will interest readers fascinated by the Victorian drive for self-improvement.

Until the 1830s, the principles of electric telegraphy were confined to laboratories and classrooms. Hoping only to make a hundred pounds, William Fothergill Cooke (1806-79) developed the invention for commercial use. This collection of his letters, which detail the painstaking process of his work, was first published in 1895.

One of the leading figures in the age of great engineers, David Stevenson (1815-86) is best remembered for his work on inland navigation and lighthouses. Published in 1872, this second edition of what was originally an article for the Encyclopaedia Britannica remained the definitive text on the subject into the twentieth century.

Although denied membership of the Royal Society, electrical engineer and suffragist Hertha Ayrton (1854-1923) undertook a vast range of scientific work, from the study of sand bars to the development of anti-aircraft lights. First published in 1902, this book is her comprehensive and illustrated study of electric arcs.

The nineteenth-century gold rush was an important factor in the tension between Dutch and English settlers that led to the Second Boer War. This 1895 work on the mining industry of the Transvaal covers geological, economic and legal aspects of gold mining in this significant period of South African history.

With its spectacular lighting displays, the 1881 International Exposition of Electricity in Paris showcased the potential of the technology for commercial and domestic use. In its wake, James Dredge (1840-1906), editor of the British periodical Engineering, oversaw the compilation and publication in 1882-5 of this illustrated two-volume work.

With its spectacular lighting displays, the 1881 International Exposition of Electricity in Paris showcased the potential of the technology for commercial and domestic use. In its wake, James Dredge (1840-1906), editor of the British periodical Engineering, oversaw the compilation and publication in 1882-5 of this illustrated two-volume work.

With over 4,500 entries, this two-volume catalogue, in its third, 1877 edition, is a comprehensive record of a major exhibition on which important collections now held at the Science Museum, London were based. It lists and describes the objects, and gives details of the organisers and contributing individuals and institutions.

With over 4,500 entries, this two-volume catalogue, in its third, 1877 edition, is a comprehensive record of a major exhibition on which important collections now held at the Science Museum, London were based. It lists and describes the objects, and gives details of the organisers and contributing individuals and institutions.

Frederick Smeeton Williams (1829-86) was a Congregational minister and pioneering railway historian. This book, first published in 1876, is a lively historical account of the Midland Railway's early development, particularly valuable for its contemporary description of the building of the notoriously difficult but beautifully scenic Settle and Carlisle line.

First published in 1828, when steam navigation was in its infancy in Britain, this work by naval officer and Arctic explorer John Ross (1777-1856) explores the rise of steam navigation and how to best exploit its advantages, both for trade and military purposes.

Sir William Crookes (1832-1919) worked on a spectacular range of projects. He invented a radiometer, investigated spiritualism and even predicted nuclear fission. This 1923 biography explores Crookes' remarkable life through diary extracts and letters. It also includes a foreword by the physicist Sir Oliver Lodge.

Written in order to shed light on the industry and economy of China rather than social issues, this account of engineer William Barclay Parsons' experiences in the eastern provinces was first published in 1900, touching on all aspects of Chinese industrial development from export statistics to ingenious business swindles.

In this work of 1891, Silvanus P. Thompson (1851-1916), an engineer and physicist, explains the function of the electromagnet. Starting with the history and development of electromagnets, the work looks at the principle of the magnetic current, and gives detailed descriptions of electromagnetic motors and machine tools.

This practical 1844 guide provides a detailed insight into the history and application of draining land. Beginning with an address to the public focusing on the importance of farming and the improvement of ground, Henry Hutchinson devotes separate chapters to the various methods of land drainage available in England.

This important 1844 survey of the natural resources of Ireland and the potential for their exploitation is a valuable source on the state of Ireland shortly before the outbreak of the Famine. Robert Kane outlines ways in which the Irish economy could be made less dependent on agriculture.

Published in 1845, Reverend Robert Willis' study paints a vivid picture of the fascinating history of Canterbury Cathedral, and remains a work of key interest for the modern visitor. Containing many illustrative wood engravings, the book analyses the rich variety of the cathedral's architectural styles.

Margaret Gatty (1809-1873) was an English writer of popular science. This volume, first published in 1872, contains detailed descriptions of over 350 British and European sundials, with their mottoes provided and where necessary translated. It remains a valuable reference for the various types of sundials and their mottoes.

After completion, the Severn Tunnel remained the longest rail tunnel in Britain for over a century. Reissued here is the 1890 second edition of contractor Thomas Walker's first-hand account of the problematic construction of this Victorian engineering triumph. Walker admits that building 'one sub-aqueous tunnel is quite enough for a lifetime'.

Aided by plans of the building and tables of classification, in Volume 2 of Hunt's Hand-Book to the Official Catalogues of the Great Exhibition (1851), readers continue their vicarious journey through the Crystal Palace and 'take in' exhibits as varied as enamelled glassware, cotton looms and cement.

Hunt's Hand-Book to the Official Catalogues of the Great Exhibition (1851) displays a compelling enthusiasm for the modern world, technology and progress. Aided by a series of meticulous plans, Volume 1 leads readers through the celebrated Medieval Court and spectacular displays of agricultural produce, weaponry, and porcelain.

This work of 1866, illustrated by Robert Dudley, is the official account of the 1865 expedition on board the Great Eastern to lay a cable along the Atlantic Ocean floor between Valentia, Ireland, and Foilhummerum Bay, Newfoundland, and will appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of technology.

Written by the first general manager of De Beers Consolidated Mines, this impressively detailed study describes the discovery of diamonds in South Africa and the development of mines and methods of mining in that country. First published in 1902, The Diamond Mines contains over 500 illustrations.

In this 1884 book, Jeans examines the work of the men who he considered had contributed most to the iron and steel industries of the nineteenth century. Their work made possible many technological developments by allowing higher-quality metals to be produced at lower cost.

Wireless technology was rapidly changing in the first decades of the twentieth century. In 1907 James Erskine-Murray, who had trained under Lord Kelvin, published A Handbook of Wireless Telegraphy, which became a classic in its field and ran to numerous editions, instructing generations of radio engineers and enthusiasts alike.

The arrival of radio technology was a watershed in global communications. In A History of Wireless Telegraphy (1899), reissued here in the updated second edition (1901), the engineer and historian John Joseph Fahie charts the rapid development of one of the key discoveries of the nineteenth century.

By the time of his death aged 53, Isambard Kingdom Brunel had made a major impact on Victorian civil engineering with projects including the Great Western Railway, the Clifton suspension bridge, and transatlantic steamships. This biography by his son, with technical input from Brunel's former colleagues, was published in 1870.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 was arguably the birth of the globalisation of trade, allowing the major powers quicker access to the raw materials and markets vital for growth. These letters by the man behind the canal, published in 1876, document its early planning and progress.

Replete with engravings, this four-volume work presents details of British and foreign participants at London's International Exhibition of 1862. A diverse range of industries is represented, including mining, engineering, textiles, printing and photography. Also featuring a concise history of the exhibition, this remains an instructive resource for social and economic historians.