Folio Archives 465. The Lives of George and Robert Stephenson by Samuel Smiles 1975
Talk Folio Society Devotees
Join LibraryThing to post.
1wcarter
The Lives of George and Robert Stephenson by Samuel Smiles 1975
This is a detailed but fascinating biography of the self-made father and son engineers who were responsible for the first commercial railways. Most significantly, it was written in 1857 and the author knew and interviewed both the Stephensons, as well as many of their friends and business partners, for the book. Smiles also wrote The Lives of the Engineers which was published by the Folio Society in 2006.
George was born to an impoverished family in the village of Wylam, eight miles West of Newcastle in 1781. He was the second of six children and started life as a cowherd at the age of twelve earning two pence a day.
His father worked at a colliery as a fireman (machine operator) and George learnt a lot from him about engines.
The biography recounts the determination with which George educated himself, progressed as a mine machinist, developed a safety lamp for mines and eventually created the world's first commercial railway. This was designed to transport coal from the mines to the port, but became very popular as public transport.
The Stephenson father and son then set up business as railway engine manufacturers, railway surveyors and track designers and despite initial antagonism and resistance, railways soon rapidly spread across Britain and the world. It is an amazing story.
This is a particularly well-made book. There is an eleven page introduction by Eric de Mare, and the 304 page book is illustrated with 22 wood-cut engravings used mainly as chapter headings, and eight two-page colour plates. The endpapers are also colour plates showing at the front the Manchester to Liverpool railway crossing the Chat Moss bog, and at the back the massive Victoria Bridge.
The page tops are stained yellow and the book is bound in dark green cloth with an inset monochrome wood-cut of the "Rocket" on the cover. The spine has gilt titling and decorations. The brown slipcase measures 26.3x16.1cm..
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
This is a detailed but fascinating biography of the self-made father and son engineers who were responsible for the first commercial railways. Most significantly, it was written in 1857 and the author knew and interviewed both the Stephensons, as well as many of their friends and business partners, for the book. Smiles also wrote The Lives of the Engineers which was published by the Folio Society in 2006.
George was born to an impoverished family in the village of Wylam, eight miles West of Newcastle in 1781. He was the second of six children and started life as a cowherd at the age of twelve earning two pence a day.
His father worked at a colliery as a fireman (machine operator) and George learnt a lot from him about engines.
The biography recounts the determination with which George educated himself, progressed as a mine machinist, developed a safety lamp for mines and eventually created the world's first commercial railway. This was designed to transport coal from the mines to the port, but became very popular as public transport.
The Stephenson father and son then set up business as railway engine manufacturers, railway surveyors and track designers and despite initial antagonism and resistance, railways soon rapidly spread across Britain and the world. It is an amazing story.
This is a particularly well-made book. There is an eleven page introduction by Eric de Mare, and the 304 page book is illustrated with 22 wood-cut engravings used mainly as chapter headings, and eight two-page colour plates. The endpapers are also colour plates showing at the front the Manchester to Liverpool railway crossing the Chat Moss bog, and at the back the massive Victoria Bridge.
The page tops are stained yellow and the book is bound in dark green cloth with an inset monochrome wood-cut of the "Rocket" on the cover. The spine has gilt titling and decorations. The brown slipcase measures 26.3x16.1cm..
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2EasternWapiti
Great choice for a book review. This is one of my favorite Folio Society books of all time. I have been planning to incorporate it into a reading project on the early history of railroads.
