jjares reviewed on 1/30/2021 + 3297 more book reviews

Having already read the absolutely amazing story of JosephBazalgette (also of British fame as an infrastructure engineer), I wanted to read about another of the British titans of civil engineering. Like many of the emerging engineers of the Industrial Revolution, he was a self-made man. Brunel was certainly not an instant success; he had to accept failure often in his early days.

It would have added so much to this book if the author had included photos or drawings of the edifices that Brunel completed. I googled for the photos. Besides understanding his workers (by working amongst them, not just over them), Brunel also had a sense of history and art. Thus, he understood the historical traditions that were important to Bath, England. His creations fit into the aura and history of the area.

The Maidenhead Bridge over the Thames and pictures of Brunel's ships are awe-inspiring. Brunel enchanted people with his uplifting designs; he was truly a jack-of-many-trades. Brunel was so multifaceted that he built ships, railways, bridges, tunnels, harbors, engines, and even new towns. Absolutely amazing.

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