Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam

by Fred Dibnah

Britains favourite steeplejack and industrial enthusiastic, the late Fred Dibnah, takes us back to the 18th century when the invention of the steam engine gave an enormous impetus to the development of machinery of all types. He reveals how the steam engine provided the first practical means of generating power from heat to augment the old sources of power (from muscle, wind and water) and provided the main source of power for the Industrial Revolution. In Fred Dibnahs Age of Steam Fred shares his passion for steam and meets some of the characters who devote their lives to finding, preserving and restoring steam locomotives, traction engines and stationary engines, mill workings and pumps. Combined with this will be the stories of central figures of the time, including James Watts - inventor of the steam engine - and Richard Trevithick who played a key role in the expansion of industrial Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Rayne Jackson]

I liked this as I like history around industrial stuff. He writes like he speaks, very straightforward and clear.

[Rob]

My last book read in 2013. And a good way to finish the year, it being my 75th book of 2013.
Fred Dibnah was a colourful character, from Bolton, in England. He was an ex steeplejack whose love of everything steam always came across strongly in his TV programmes. The 'Age of Steam' traces the development of steam engines in all their forms up to the present day. For anyone with a love of steam engines, be they railway locomotives, road vehicles, marine, or stationary, this has to be a 'must read'. All of the great inventors and engineers are here. A book written with passion, and read with zeal.

[Matthew Rowe]

Top bloke was Fred. Loved his programmes about steam engines, and his passion for steam comes through in the book. I gave it 4 stars as he could have gone into more detail about the more modern steam engines that Gresley, Stanier, and Collett designed.