donaldleitch's review against another edition
4.0
This very readable biography of the great British engineer Thomas Telford offers a portrait of a multi dimensional man, with a passion for poetry, he follows his calling as an engineer. The biography takes the reader through his early days growing up in the Scottish borders, to his early career as a mason. With encouragement from patrons, Telford moves in to the practise of architecture and engineering. An innovator, Telford embraces new technologies like cast iron, using it in the design of a number of projects, many of which are still in service to this day, including the Caledonian Canal, aqueducts, various bridges, roads and churches. Julian Glover has painted a contemporary portrait of this important character in the development of early 19th century Britain.
lnatal's review
3.0
From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the week:
"There was no better moment to be born, if you wanted to change the world by building things, than Britain in the second half of the eighteenth century."
The first full modern biography of Thomas Telford: a shepherd's son who changed the world with his revolutionary engineering. Telford's life spanned a fascinating time in British history: born in post-Union, post-Enlightenment Scotland, Telford forged a successful career in London and then across the country working on projects that set the stage for the Industrial Revolution.
Born in the Scottish Borders in 1757, Telford's beginnings were not auspicious. But he gained a fine education in his village school and, in that egalitarian time and place, mixed there with children from all different classes. Indeed, contacts from his schooldays played a key role in helping him to become established as one of Britain's leading engineers.
A stonemason turned architect turned engineer Telford built churches, harbours, canals, docks and the famously vertiginous Pontcysyllte aqueduct in Wales. He invented the modern road and created the backbone of our national road network. His bridges are some of the most dramatic and beautiful ever built, most of all the Menai Bridge, which spans the dangerous channel between the mainland and Anglesey. Astonishingly, gratifyingly, almost everything he built remains in use today.
Reader: Robin Laing
Writer: Julian Glover
Abridger: David Jackson Young
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08bz7ht
"There was no better moment to be born, if you wanted to change the world by building things, than Britain in the second half of the eighteenth century."
The first full modern biography of Thomas Telford: a shepherd's son who changed the world with his revolutionary engineering. Telford's life spanned a fascinating time in British history: born in post-Union, post-Enlightenment Scotland, Telford forged a successful career in London and then across the country working on projects that set the stage for the Industrial Revolution.
Born in the Scottish Borders in 1757, Telford's beginnings were not auspicious. But he gained a fine education in his village school and, in that egalitarian time and place, mixed there with children from all different classes. Indeed, contacts from his schooldays played a key role in helping him to become established as one of Britain's leading engineers.
A stonemason turned architect turned engineer Telford built churches, harbours, canals, docks and the famously vertiginous Pontcysyllte aqueduct in Wales. He invented the modern road and created the backbone of our national road network. His bridges are some of the most dramatic and beautiful ever built, most of all the Menai Bridge, which spans the dangerous channel between the mainland and Anglesey. Astonishingly, gratifyingly, almost everything he built remains in use today.
Reader: Robin Laing
Writer: Julian Glover
Abridger: David Jackson Young
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08bz7ht
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