Lives of the Engineers: George and Robert Stephenson

Description

Lives of the Engineers: George and Robert Stephenson, written by Samuel Smiles and Andy Minter is a book of remarkable value to anyone interested in the way Britain’s railways were shaped in their earlier days.

“We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success.”

This simple and insightful quote from the book shows precisely the essence of what the writers desired to convey through it. They’ve described how George Stephenson started out in a life of poverty at the end of the 18th century, only to become – through trial, error and fending off his considerable opposition – the man who has truly shaped Britain’s steam railways, setting them forth towards their illustrious future of the 19th and 20th centuries.

As depicted in the book, George and his son, Robert Stephenson, were the ones who revolutionized Britain’s railways, despite all hardships and difficulties they had to face. Even though he only learned how to read and write at a later age, George Stephenson went on to become probably one of the most well-known figures in British Railway history, by developing steam railways throughout the country, and later, the world.

Although the two engineers have not brought an earth-shattering change in the beginning, the book shows us precisely how, through gradual steps, they have managed to beat the odds and achieve national, then global success, building railways throughout the entire world. It also tells of how they’ve became renowned for their engineering contributions towards enhancing steam engines and bringing them close to the advanced technological level they’ve eventually reached in the 20th century.

An inspiring and exciting read, Lives of the Engineers is also an excellent tribute to the resounding success of the father and son pair who have inspired more than a century of upcoming railway engineering breakthroughs.
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