Men of Iron: Brunel, Stephenson and the inventions that shaped the modern world

by Sally Dugan

'Men of Iron' is the story of two men who were bitter commercial rivals but maintained an astonishing lifelong friendship.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the great showman of Victorian engineering. Cigar in hand and stovepipe hat on his head, he conducted operations like a circus ringmaster. He built the Thames Tunnel with his father, Marc - and held a banquet in it. Aged only twenty-six, he was made engineer to the most ambitious railway of all time, the Great Western Railway. Ever restless, he moved on to a series of shipbuilding 'greats' - the 'Great Western', the 'Great Britain', and the 'Great Eastern'.

Robert Stephenson, son of the bluff, semi-literate northerner George Stephenson, was less flamboyant. However, as creator of the 'Rocket', and designer of thousands of miles of bridges and railways, he too left his iron signature on the face of Britain.

Both men had their share of disasters. Stephenson narrowly escaped a manslaughter charge after the collapse of the bridge over the River Dee. Brunel's experiment with atmospheric railways was the most expensive engineering failure of his time. His massive iron ship, the 'Great Eastern' embarrassingly became stuck on her launch site by the Thames. Experts from all over the country offered advice. Stephenson paddled in the mud and gave moral support.

Using letters, diaries and notebooks, this beautifully illustrated book examines the legacy of Brunel, Stephenson and their contemporaries - and it counts the human cost of their great feats of engineering.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

206 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2003

Reviews

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently visited Bristol to see the 'SS Great Britain' and visit the fabulous Brunel museum, I just had to read a book on the great man - and his contemporaries. The result was a read of 'Men of Iron', which is a well researched and detailed study of the two main men who influenced engineering history in Victorian times. Brunel's diaries, letters and notebooks, some of which are on display in the museum, have been used extensively and these serve to put flesh on the bones of this great man.

Of course, Brunel came from an engineering background for his father Marc, a French émigré, had developed an iron tunnelling shield that he was eventually to put to use in the development of the Thames Tunnel. And young Isambard was on hand to give his father a helping hand. Then, when the Resident Engineer, William Armstrong resigned through ill health, Isambard was appointed in his place.

He was so keen to succeed that he spent weeks working with the tunnelling shield without coming up for fresh air and sleeping on bales of straw. This, plus his passion for detail, certainly endeared him to the workmen on the project as he set a terrific example of working hard. But there were problems and Isambard was eventually to suffer internal injuries in an accident that stopped work on the tunnel for some years. Isambard retired to Brighton to restore his health and by the time he had improved he was ready to move on to other things.

Meanwhile Robert Stephenson, his early career somewhat overshadowed by his father, was also making his way in the engineering business, concentrating particularly on railways with the design of the 'Rocket' one of his early successes. Unlike Brunel, who was a polymath, Stephenson's skill lay in adapting existing designs rather than thinking things through from first principles. But this is not to underestimate his abilities as a major player in the Victorian engineering world.

The two men became firm friends, even though their views of railway gauges to be used around the country was quite different but it did not hinder either of them in supporting the other when it was necessary. They both had their problems, most particularly Stephenson with the Dee railway bridge disaster, and Brunel with his failed experiment with atmospheric railways and then with the launching of his iron ship the 'Great Eastern'. In the latter incident, Stephenson not only travelled down to London to support his friend but he spent considerable time paddling in the Thames' mud and giving moral support.

Bridges, railways and ships were the legacy that the duo left behind with Brunel's Great Western Railways probably the pick of them all. And throughout all the rivalry they remained great friends, both turned down knighthoods, both accepted honorary degrees at Oxford University, both holidayed in Cairo in 1858 and they had dinner together on Christmas Day and they later died within one month of each other, Brunel on 15 September 1859 and Stephenson on 12 October of the same year.

There is much more to their fascinating stories and 'Men of Iron' leaves nothing out, all the triumphs and disasters are there, and the book ensures that the reader is aware that the two of them strode the country like a pair of colossi and, appropriately, suggests that their best epitaph would be the lines written for Sir Christopher Wren over the interior of the North Dome in St Paul's Cathedral, London, - 'Si monumentum requiris, circumspice.' This translates as 'If you would see their monuments, look around' and my visit to 'SS Great Britain' and the Brunel Museum certainly proved the point as far as Brunel is concerned.

[Doug Deas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The key engineers of the 19th century - and what they achieved. The sheer size and scale of the projects and what they delivered is amazing. The drive of these men as they break new frontiers. Beautifully presented and illustrated it’s a good read. Clearly shows how railways in the 19th Century are what computers and the internet have been in our time.