Last Journey of William Huskisson
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.16 (539 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B006G8GNNS |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 244 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-01-26 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
George and Robert Stevenson's "Rocket" was to become the most famous locomotive in history. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the greatest engineering feat of its age. William Huskisson was one of the greatest statesmen of his generation and certainly the most accident prone. Huskisson's fateful accident, in which the "Rocket" crushed his leg and thigh, is an unforgettable image of the Industrial Revolution. But what really happened on that day? How did the opening of the world's first passenger railyway turn from a glorious morning into a tragic afternoon? This book is an entertaining tale of ambition, genius, rivalry and legend, plotting the eight-year struggle to build a railway with a cast of engineers, politicians, actresses, surgeons, socialites and breathtaking machines. On 15th September 1830, the three met for the first time. It is a loud and evocative snapshot of the times, but above all it is a human story of one man's shocking and very gory demise.
About the Author Simon Garfield is the author of, amongst others, The End of Innocence: Britain in the Time of AIDS (1994), The Wrestling (1996), The Nation's Favourite: The True Adventures of radio 1 (1998) and, most recently, Mauve, which was described in the Daily Telegraph as 'a book about science which also happens to be a miniature work of art.'
Ralph Blumenau said A great achievement and a tragic accident. William Huskisson's last journey was on the train-ride which marked the official opening of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway on 8 September 18A great achievement and a tragic accident William Huskisson's last journey was on the train-ride which marked the official opening of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway on 8 September 1830, an event which was marred by the terrible accident that day which cost him his life. The book is of course about much more than that. We learn about all the problems and technicalities which were involved in the building of the tracks and of the engines which ran on them; about the personalities and rivalries of the inventors and the engineers; about the energetic and eloquent promot. 0, an event which was marred by the terrible accident that day which cost him his life. The book is of course about much more than that. We learn about all the problems and technicalities which were involved in the building of the tracks and of the engines which ran on them; about the personalities and rivalries of the inventors and the engineers; about the energetic and eloquent promot. Quirky but details story well One does not expect a tragic death by railroad accident to lead to such a broad back story, about the development of the railroad, about local and national politics, and the petty feuds, skirmishes and downright nastiness behind it all. The author does an excellent biography of William Huskisson, who he was, a middling politician of import to the story, and the efforts to build a railroad between Manchester and Liverpool, a significant rail line in the evolution from the first technological innovations of steam transport to th
Simon Garfield is the author of, amongst others, The End of Innocence: Britain in the Time of AIDS (1994), The Wrestling (1996), The Nation's Favourite: The True Adventures of radio 1 (1998) and, most recently, Mauve, which was described in the Daily Telegraph as 'a book about science which also happens to be a miniature work of art.'