Wow!, 22 Apr 2004
The series was brilliant, and I really looked forward to reading the book - and, for once, I was not disappointed!

Ms. Cadbury should feel proud about her achievement. The book is very well written, and the information conveyed in such a relatively short space (only about 50 pages for each 'wonder') is rich, detailed and extremely interesting - and should prove interesting for everyone! She draws together tales from the labourers, from the supervisors, from the finaciers, and from the relatives of those involved with the, often, super-human projects to produce a truly fascinating book.

I don't normally go for historical books, but this is probably one of the best exeptions to that rule. All I can say is, "thank you mum for buying it!"

I would definately recommend this book to everyone...

"I came, I saw, I was conquered...", 01 Oct 2003
Deborah Cadbury had a difficult task with this book. How do you take seven examples of tremendous engineering/construction feats and condense each one into 40-50 pages....and still get across to the reader the richness and complexity of each story? Well, Ms. Cadbury has managed to do it. She gives enough details so that you can understand how difficult each of these projects were. She also includes plenty of "human interest" information, so we learn about some of the engineers involved in these projects and how their obsession with work, in several cases, affected their health and even shortened their lives. The author also talks about some of the financiers behind these projects (and some unscrupulous business practices).But Ms. Cadbury doesn't limit herself to the bigwigs. She also shows us the brawn as well as the brains - the thousands and thousands of laborers who actually did the bullwork: the people who braved 100 mile per hour winds and 100 foot waves to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse; the workers who built the Brooklyn Bridge, and got "the bends" from working in pressurized caissons under New York's East River; the Chinese laborers who froze to death in 40 below zero temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountains (or who were blown up while setting explosive charges), as the Union Pacific railroad made its way eastward from California. (The Chinese workers were considered so insignificant and dispensable that the railroad didn't even bother to keep records on how many died.) In the section on the Panama Canal, in addition to unsafe working conditions, we see another nemesis - disease - as thousands of French and, later, American workers die from Yellow Fever and Malaria, after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Tragically, many "educated" folks thought that only those people living a depraved life could be affected by the tropical diseases. If you were "upstanding," you were safe. So thought one of the canal company's directors - Jules Dingler. He brought the whole family over to Panama and watched in horror as his daughter, son, wife, and his daughter's fiance were all killed by Yellow Fever.) I have read an excellent book on the building of the Panama Canal ("The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough), which, if I recall correctly was very long...perhaps 500-600 pages. I was amazed what a good job Ms. Cadbury did of getting most of the pertinent information on this topic into such a short chapter. She is really to be commended, because doing justice to each of these stories must have been very difficult. And, again, I found a really good balance in each chapter between the technical aspects of the story and "the human touch." I'm sure that this book will cause many people to want to read more on each of these topics, and Ms. Cadbury obliges with a very nice bibliography. (From my own reading, besides recommending Mr. McCullough's book on the Panama Canal I can also suggest his very good book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, "The Great Bridge." Regarding the Scottish lighthouses, I recently read Bella Bathurst's "The Lighthouse Stevensons," and that was excellent, as well.) By the way, for the title of this review I used part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "official dedication" speech, which he gave at the Hoover Dam on September, 30 1935. I thought the words would be appropriate for any of these great human accomplishments. Kudos to Ms. Cadbury, as well, for presenting each story in such an intelligent and interesting manner.

Wow!, 22 Apr 2004
The series was brilliant, and I really looked forward to reading the book - and, for once, I was not disappointed!

Ms. Cadbury should feel proud about her achievement. The book is very well written, and the information conveyed in such a relatively short space (only about 50 pages for each 'wonder') is rich, detailed and extremely interesting - and should prove interesting for everyone! She draws together tales from the labourers, from the supervisors, from the finaciers, and from the relatives of those involved with the, often, super-human projects to produce a truly fascinating book.

I don't normally go for historical books, but this is probably one of the best exeptions to that rule. All I can say is, "thank you mum for buying it!"

I would definately recommend this book to everyone...

"I came, I saw, I was conquered...", 01 Oct 2003
Deborah Cadbury had a difficult task with this book. How do you take seven examples of tremendous engineering/construction feats and condense each one into 40-50 pages....and still get across to the reader the richness and complexity of each story? Well, Ms. Cadbury has managed to do it. She gives enough details so that you can understand how difficult each of these projects were. She also includes plenty of "human interest" information, so we learn about some of the engineers involved in these projects and how their obsession with work, in several cases, affected their health and even shortened their lives. The author also talks about some of the financiers behind these projects (and some unscrupulous business practices).But Ms. Cadbury doesn't limit herself to the bigwigs. She also shows us the brawn as well as the brains - the thousands and thousands of laborers who actually did the bullwork: the people who braved 100 mile per hour winds and 100 foot waves to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse; the workers who built the Brooklyn Bridge, and got "the bends" from working in pressurized caissons under New York's East River; the Chinese laborers who froze to death in 40 below zero temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountains (or who were blown up while setting explosive charges), as the Union Pacific railroad made its way eastward from California. (The Chinese workers were considered so insignificant and dispensable that the railroad didn't even bother to keep records on how many died.) In the section on the Panama Canal, in addition to unsafe working conditions, we see another nemesis - disease - as thousands of French and, later, American workers die from Yellow Fever and Malaria, after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Tragically, many "educated" folks thought that only those people living a depraved life could be affected by the tropical diseases. If you were "upstanding," you were safe. So thought one of the canal company's directors - Jules Dingler. He brought the whole family over to Panama and watched in horror as his daughter, son, wife, and his daughter's fiance were all killed by Yellow Fever.) I have read an excellent book on the building of the Panama Canal ("The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough), which, if I recall correctly was very long...perhaps 500-600 pages. I was amazed what a good job Ms. Cadbury did of getting most of the pertinent information on this topic into such a short chapter. She is really to be commended, because doing justice to each of these stories must have been very difficult. And, again, I found a really good balance in each chapter between the technical aspects of the story and "the human touch." I'm sure that this book will cause many people to want to read more on each of these topics, and Ms. Cadbury obliges with a very nice bibliography. (From my own reading, besides recommending Mr. McCullough's book on the Panama Canal I can also suggest his very good book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, "The Great Bridge." Regarding the Scottish lighthouses, I recently read Bella Bathurst's "The Lighthouse Stevensons," and that was excellent, as well.) By the way, for the title of this review I used part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "official dedication" speech, which he gave at the Hoover Dam on September, 30 1935. I thought the words would be appropriate for any of these great human accomplishments. Kudos to Ms. Cadbury, as well, for presenting each story in such an intelligent and interesting manner.

Excellent Buy, 03 Jan 2008
This book is excellent for anyone wanting a general introduction into archaeology, but also for anyone wanting to look at specific time periods in British history, with in depth studies by some of the leading archaeologist in these fields.
This book has good studies of individual artifacts and sites, and also provides a good history of the relevant time period.
Futhermore this book also provides a good evaluation of social, economic and political factors of these archaeological sites.
This book is clear and concise which pictorial representation which makes it easy for anyone studying the field or with a general interest to understand.
I can't praise this book enough as an introdutory book, you wont find a better review of these periods without looking at books dedicted to the specific areas.

A Must buy for a General overview of British Archaeeology, 15 Jan 2001
Excellent overview of British archaeology from Paleolithic to modern. Although more leaning towards the prehistory of Britain, most periods are well covered and the detail of certain sections is excellent: in particular the Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sections show great summaries within a small amount of text. The post-Anglo Saxons sections are also well written, although this period seems less well-represented than the prehistory. The book also reflects good, up-to-date thinking on these subjects. Ideal for A-level and above, it is also well suited to the individual who wants a more detailed overview on periods within Archaeology without having to read heavy, specialised texts. Buy it.

AN EXCELLENT ACADEMIC INTRODUCTION, 22 Nov 2000
As an archaeology student this book came highly recomended to me. Since purchasing it I have realised why! This is a comprehensive chronological guide to the history of Britain through archaeology. From the very dawn of British pre-history to the latest fields of industrial Britain, this book looks at the surviving archaeological evidence and the way it has been uncovered . It is not the best guide to methods, but it is not meant to be. It is however an essential guide to British Archaeology and a must for all students of the subject and interested laypeople.

Wow!, 22 Apr 2004
The series was brilliant, and I really looked forward to reading the book - and, for once, I was not disappointed!

Ms. Cadbury should feel proud about her achievement. The book is very well written, and the information conveyed in such a relatively short space (only about 50 pages for each 'wonder') is rich, detailed and extremely interesting - and should prove interesting for everyone! She draws together tales from the labourers, from the supervisors, from the finaciers, and from the relatives of those involved with the, often, super-human projects to produce a truly fascinating book.

I don't normally go for historical books, but this is probably one of the best exeptions to that rule. All I can say is, "thank you mum for buying it!"

I would definately recommend this book to everyone...

"I came, I saw, I was conquered...", 01 Oct 2003
Deborah Cadbury had a difficult task with this book. How do you take seven examples of tremendous engineering/construction feats and condense each one into 40-50 pages....and still get across to the reader the richness and complexity of each story? Well, Ms. Cadbury has managed to do it. She gives enough details so that you can understand how difficult each of these projects were. She also includes plenty of "human interest" information, so we learn about some of the engineers involved in these projects and how their obsession with work, in several cases, affected their health and even shortened their lives. The author also talks about some of the financiers behind these projects (and some unscrupulous business practices).But Ms. Cadbury doesn't limit herself to the bigwigs. She also shows us the brawn as well as the brains - the thousands and thousands of laborers who actually did the bullwork: the people who braved 100 mile per hour winds and 100 foot waves to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse; the workers who built the Brooklyn Bridge, and got "the bends" from working in pressurized caissons under New York's East River; the Chinese laborers who froze to death in 40 below zero temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountains (or who were blown up while setting explosive charges), as the Union Pacific railroad made its way eastward from California. (The Chinese workers were considered so insignificant and dispensable that the railroad didn't even bother to keep records on how many died.) In the section on the Panama Canal, in addition to unsafe working conditions, we see another nemesis - disease - as thousands of French and, later, American workers die from Yellow Fever and Malaria, after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Tragically, many "educated" folks thought that only those people living a depraved life could be affected by the tropical diseases. If you were "upstanding," you were safe. So thought one of the canal company's directors - Jules Dingler. He brought the whole family over to Panama and watched in horror as his daughter, son, wife, and his daughter's fiance were all killed by Yellow Fever.) I have read an excellent book on the building of the Panama Canal ("The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough), which, if I recall correctly was very long...perhaps 500-600 pages. I was amazed what a good job Ms. Cadbury did of getting most of the pertinent information on this topic into such a short chapter. She is really to be commended, because doing justice to each of these stories must have been very difficult. And, again, I found a really good balance in each chapter between the technical aspects of the story and "the human touch." I'm sure that this book will cause many people to want to read more on each of these topics, and Ms. Cadbury obliges with a very nice bibliography. (From my own reading, besides recommending Mr. McCullough's book on the Panama Canal I can also suggest his very good book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, "The Great Bridge." Regarding the Scottish lighthouses, I recently read Bella Bathurst's "The Lighthouse Stevensons," and that was excellent, as well.) By the way, for the title of this review I used part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "official dedication" speech, which he gave at the Hoover Dam on September, 30 1935. I thought the words would be appropriate for any of these great human accomplishments. Kudos to Ms. Cadbury, as well, for presenting each story in such an intelligent and interesting manner.

Excellent Buy, 03 Jan 2008
This book is excellent for anyone wanting a general introduction into archaeology, but also for anyone wanting to look at specific time periods in British history, with in depth studies by some of the leading archaeologist in these fields.
This book has good studies of individual artifacts and sites, and also provides a good history of the relevant time period.
Futhermore this book also provides a good evaluation of social, economic and political factors of these archaeological sites.
This book is clear and concise which pictorial representation which makes it easy for anyone studying the field or with a general interest to understand.
I can't praise this book enough as an introdutory book, you wont find a better review of these periods without looking at books dedicted to the specific areas.

A Must buy for a General overview of British Archaeeology, 15 Jan 2001
Excellent overview of British archaeology from Paleolithic to modern. Although more leaning towards the prehistory of Britain, most periods are well covered and the detail of certain sections is excellent: in particular the Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sections show great summaries within a small amount of text. The post-Anglo Saxons sections are also well written, although this period seems less well-represented than the prehistory. The book also reflects good, up-to-date thinking on these subjects. Ideal for A-level and above, it is also well suited to the individual who wants a more detailed overview on periods within Archaeology without having to read heavy, specialised texts. Buy it.

AN EXCELLENT ACADEMIC INTRODUCTION, 22 Nov 2000
As an archaeology student this book came highly recomended to me. Since purchasing it I have realised why! This is a comprehensive chronological guide to the history of Britain through archaeology. From the very dawn of British pre-history to the latest fields of industrial Britain, this book looks at the surviving archaeological evidence and the way it has been uncovered . It is not the best guide to methods, but it is not meant to be. It is however an essential guide to British Archaeology and a must for all students of the subject and interested laypeople.

Good overview of the period, 30 Apr 2008
This book is one of a number of recent history books that are academically well researched, but are so well written with the layman in mind, that interest is maintained throughout and a truly remarkable story emerges. Rather than just concentrating on any one country's response to the industrial revolution, Gavin Weightman lays greater emphasis on the transmission of ideas between countries and continents, concentrating less on the well known (and often unjustifiably praised) pioneer inventors and more on the entrepreneurs or "fixers" who were ideas men who got unsung engineers in to turn their dreams into reality. What was especially fascinating for me were the stories relating to how Japan came late to industrialism but how within 50 years they had virtually caught the rest of the industrialised nations up.

There is an extensive bibliography for those who want to delve deeper into individual aspects of this subject, as it has to be admitted this is a sketch of what is obviously a much wider subject. Still it is a very good, interesting and thought provoking sketch which should appeal to anyone interested in this era of history.

One caveat would have to be that there are numerous typographical errors, stray hyphens and commas in my paperback edition which suggests that the proofs were just spell checked rather than read, but this is a minor quibble.

Thoughtful and interesting, 22 Apr 2008
This is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to learn of the origins of industry between 1776 and 1914. The chapters flow with interesting insights into the pioneers and inventors around the world at that time, with the end of one chapter acting as the introduction to the next.
It certainly removes some of the myths and legends that surround the inventions of the time, especially the Morse code chapter.
The books covers all the major technologies of the time in Europe and America in a most readable and non stuffy way.

A must for anyone interested in the history of this period.

Wow!, 22 Apr 2004
The series was brilliant, and I really looked forward to reading the book - and, for once, I was not disappointed!

Ms. Cadbury should feel proud about her achievement. The book is very well written, and the information conveyed in such a relatively short space (only about 50 pages for each 'wonder') is rich, detailed and extremely interesting - and should prove interesting for everyone! She draws together tales from the labourers, from the supervisors, from the finaciers, and from the relatives of those involved with the, often, super-human projects to produce a truly fascinating book.

I don't normally go for historical books, but this is probably one of the best exeptions to that rule. All I can say is, "thank you mum for buying it!"

I would definately recommend this book to everyone...

"I came, I saw, I was conquered...", 01 Oct 2003
Deborah Cadbury had a difficult task with this book. How do you take seven examples of tremendous engineering/construction feats and condense each one into 40-50 pages....and still get across to the reader the richness and complexity of each story? Well, Ms. Cadbury has managed to do it. She gives enough details so that you can understand how difficult each of these projects were. She also includes plenty of "human interest" information, so we learn about some of the engineers involved in these projects and how their obsession with work, in several cases, affected their health and even shortened their lives. The author also talks about some of the financiers behind these projects (and some unscrupulous business practices).But Ms. Cadbury doesn't limit herself to the bigwigs. She also shows us the brawn as well as the brains - the thousands and thousands of laborers who actually did the bullwork: the people who braved 100 mile per hour winds and 100 foot waves to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse; the workers who built the Brooklyn Bridge, and got "the bends" from working in pressurized caissons under New York's East River; the Chinese laborers who froze to death in 40 below zero temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountains (or who were blown up while setting explosive charges), as the Union Pacific railroad made its way eastward from California. (The Chinese workers were considered so insignificant and dispensable that the railroad didn't even bother to keep records on how many died.) In the section on the Panama Canal, in addition to unsafe working conditions, we see another nemesis - disease - as thousands of French and, later, American workers die from Yellow Fever and Malaria, after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Tragically, many "educated" folks thought that only those people living a depraved life could be affected by the tropical diseases. If you were "upstanding," you were safe. So thought one of the canal company's directors - Jules Dingler. He brought the whole family over to Panama and watched in horror as his daughter, son, wife, and his daughter's fiance were all killed by Yellow Fever.) I have read an excellent book on the building of the Panama Canal ("The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough), which, if I recall correctly was very long...perhaps 500-600 pages. I was amazed what a good job Ms. Cadbury did of getting most of the pertinent information on this topic into such a short chapter. She is really to be commended, because doing justice to each of these stories must have been very difficult. And, again, I found a really good balance in each chapter between the technical aspects of the story and "the human touch." I'm sure that this book will cause many people to want to read more on each of these topics, and Ms. Cadbury obliges with a very nice bibliography. (From my own reading, besides recommending Mr. McCullough's book on the Panama Canal I can also suggest his very good book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, "The Great Bridge." Regarding the Scottish lighthouses, I recently read Bella Bathurst's "The Lighthouse Stevensons," and that was excellent, as well.) By the way, for the title of this review I used part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "official dedication" speech, which he gave at the Hoover Dam on September, 30 1935. I thought the words would be appropriate for any of these great human accomplishments. Kudos to Ms. Cadbury, as well, for presenting each story in such an intelligent and interesting manner.

Excellent Buy, 03 Jan 2008
This book is excellent for anyone wanting a general introduction into archaeology, but also for anyone wanting to look at specific time periods in British history, with in depth studies by some of the leading archaeologist in these fields.
This book has good studies of individual artifacts and sites, and also provides a good history of the relevant time period.
Futhermore this book also provides a good evaluation of social, economic and political factors of these archaeological sites.
This book is clear and concise which pictorial representation which makes it easy for anyone studying the field or with a general interest to understand.
I can't praise this book enough as an introdutory book, you wont find a better review of these periods without looking at books dedicted to the specific areas.

A Must buy for a General overview of British Archaeeology, 15 Jan 2001
Excellent overview of British archaeology from Paleolithic to modern. Although more leaning towards the prehistory of Britain, most periods are well covered and the detail of certain sections is excellent: in particular the Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sections show great summaries within a small amount of text. The post-Anglo Saxons sections are also well written, although this period seems less well-represented than the prehistory. The book also reflects good, up-to-date thinking on these subjects. Ideal for A-level and above, it is also well suited to the individual who wants a more detailed overview on periods within Archaeology without having to read heavy, specialised texts. Buy it.

AN EXCELLENT ACADEMIC INTRODUCTION, 22 Nov 2000
As an archaeology student this book came highly recomended to me. Since purchasing it I have realised why! This is a comprehensive chronological guide to the history of Britain through archaeology. From the very dawn of British pre-history to the latest fields of industrial Britain, this book looks at the surviving archaeological evidence and the way it has been uncovered . It is not the best guide to methods, but it is not meant to be. It is however an essential guide to British Archaeology and a must for all students of the subject and interested laypeople.

Good overview of the period, 30 Apr 2008
This book is one of a number of recent history books that are academically well researched, but are so well written with the layman in mind, that interest is maintained throughout and a truly remarkable story emerges. Rather than just concentrating on any one country's response to the industrial revolution, Gavin Weightman lays greater emphasis on the transmission of ideas between countries and continents, concentrating less on the well known (and often unjustifiably praised) pioneer inventors and more on the entrepreneurs or "fixers" who were ideas men who got unsung engineers in to turn their dreams into reality. What was especially fascinating for me were the stories relating to how Japan came late to industrialism but how within 50 years they had virtually caught the rest of the industrialised nations up.

There is an extensive bibliography for those who want to delve deeper into individual aspects of this subject, as it has to be admitted this is a sketch of what is obviously a much wider subject. Still it is a very good, interesting and thought provoking sketch which should appeal to anyone interested in this era of history.

One caveat would have to be that there are numerous typographical errors, stray hyphens and commas in my paperback edition which suggests that the proofs were just spell checked rather than read, but this is a minor quibble.

Thoughtful and interesting, 22 Apr 2008
This is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to learn of the origins of industry between 1776 and 1914. The chapters flow with interesting insights into the pioneers and inventors around the world at that time, with the end of one chapter acting as the introduction to the next.
It certainly removes some of the myths and legends that surround the inventions of the time, especially the Morse code chapter.
The books covers all the major technologies of the time in Europe and America in a most readable and non stuffy way.

A must for anyone interested in the history of this period.

A masterpiece, 03 Jun 2006
This book is full of incredible, powerful photography. Although Salgado is clearly expressing a political viewpoint, there is never a feeling of being patronised or preached to.

Powerful, 30 Jun 2004
This is an excellent book that made my back hairs raise. It really made me stop and think. This book is a valuable addition to my collection of books with great photographers.

A masterpiece, 14 Jan 2001
Anyone interested in photo journalism should buy this book. Salgado is one of the great photographers of our times and this is undoubtedly his most powerful book to date. Some of the images have become 20th century classics, such as the Brazilian gold mine and the Kuwaiti oil fire series. Others are less well known, but almost all the sections of this remarkable book are filled with stunning images that have been beautifully reproduced.

One of the best reporter's work ever., 09 Jun 1999
I discovered the book in a public library in Paris. I was really shocked when I just pass hundreds of pages just discovering great and greater pictures. In particular, I loved some chapters like the "Mattanza" thun-fish in Sicile, or the one settled in Bangladesh. The photographic style is pure and simple. The technique is simply perfect, so the work of Salgado is rated at a very high level, all over the book. The only "but" I find is that maybe there are so many good pictures you can swallow them at once!

A must-have book for anyone interested in photography, 01 Nov 1998
As an amateur photographer I find Salgado's book inspiring but also a little depressing...the pictures are so good I just wish I had one tenth of his skill. The thing that stands out about these pictures is the scale: a man standing next to an enormous oil tanker for example. The quality of the photography and printing in the book means it is easily worth £80. Based on this book Salgado is in my opinion the best photographer alive. I highly recomend it.

Wow!, 22 Apr 2004
The series was brilliant, and I really looked forward to reading the book - and, for once, I was not disappointed!

Ms. Cadbury should feel proud about her achievement. The book is very well written, and the information conveyed in such a relatively short space (only about 50 pages for each 'wonder') is rich, detailed and extremely interesting - and should prove interesting for everyone! She draws together tales from the labourers, from the supervisors, from the finaciers, and from the relatives of those involved with the, often, super-human projects to produce a truly fascinating book.

I don't normally go for historical books, but this is probably one of the best exeptions to that rule. All I can say is, "thank you mum for buying it!"

I would definately recommend this book to everyone...

"I came, I saw, I was conquered...", 01 Oct 2003
Deborah Cadbury had a difficult task with this book. How do you take seven examples of tremendous engineering/construction feats and condense each one into 40-50 pages....and still get across to the reader the richness and complexity of each story? Well, Ms. Cadbury has managed to do it. She gives enough details so that you can understand how difficult each of these projects were. She also includes plenty of "human interest" information, so we learn about some of the engineers involved in these projects and how their obsession with work, in several cases, affected their health and even shortened their lives. The author also talks about some of the financiers behind these projects (and some unscrupulous business practices).But Ms. Cadbury doesn't limit herself to the bigwigs. She also shows us the brawn as well as the brains - the thousands and thousands of laborers who actually did the bullwork: the people who braved 100 mile per hour winds and 100 foot waves to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse; the workers who built the Brooklyn Bridge, and got "the bends" from working in pressurized caissons under New York's East River; the Chinese laborers who froze to death in 40 below zero temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountains (or who were blown up while setting explosive charges), as the Union Pacific railroad made its way eastward from California. (The Chinese workers were considered so insignificant and dispensable that the railroad didn't even bother to keep records on how many died.) In the section on the Panama Canal, in addition to unsafe working conditions, we see another nemesis - disease - as thousands of French and, later, American workers die from Yellow Fever and Malaria, after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Tragically, many "educated" folks thought that only those people living a depraved life could be affected by the tropical diseases. If you were "upstanding," you were safe. So thought one of the canal company's directors - Jules Dingler. He brought the whole family over to Panama and watched in horror as his daughter, son, wife, and his daughter's fiance were all killed by Yellow Fever.) I have read an excellent book on the building of the Panama Canal ("The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough), which, if I recall correctly was very long...perhaps 500-600 pages. I was amazed what a good job Ms. Cadbury did of getting most of the pertinent information on this topic into such a short chapter. She is really to be commended, because doing justice to each of these stories must have been very difficult. And, again, I found a really good balance in each chapter between the technical aspects of the story and "the human touch." I'm sure that this book will cause many people to want to read more on each of these topics, and Ms. Cadbury obliges with a very nice bibliography. (From my own reading, besides recommending Mr. McCullough's book on the Panama Canal I can also suggest his very good book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, "The Great Bridge." Regarding the Scottish lighthouses, I recently read Bella Bathurst's "The Lighthouse Stevensons," and that was excellent, as well.) By the way, for the title of this review I used part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "official dedication" speech, which he gave at the Hoover Dam on September, 30 1935. I thought the words would be appropriate for any of these great human accomplishments. Kudos to Ms. Cadbury, as well, for presenting each story in such an intelligent and interesting manner.

Excellent Buy, 03 Jan 2008
This book is excellent for anyone wanting a general introduction into archaeology, but also for anyone wanting to look at specific time periods in British history, with in depth studies by some of the leading archaeologist in these fields.
This book has good studies of individual artifacts and sites, and also provides a good history of the relevant time period.
Futhermore this book also provides a good evaluation of social, economic and political factors of these archaeological sites.
This book is clear and concise which pictorial representation which makes it easy for anyone studying the field or with a general interest to understand.
I can't praise this book enough as an introdutory book, you wont find a better review of these periods without looking at books dedicted to the specific areas.

A Must buy for a General overview of British Archaeeology, 15 Jan 2001
Excellent overview of British archaeology from Paleolithic to modern. Although more leaning towards the prehistory of Britain, most periods are well covered and the detail of certain sections is excellent: in particular the Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sections show great summaries within a small amount of text. The post-Anglo Saxons sections are also well written, although this period seems less well-represented than the prehistory. The book also reflects good, up-to-date thinking on these subjects. Ideal for A-level and above, it is also well suited to the individual who wants a more detailed overview on periods within Archaeology without having to read heavy, specialised texts. Buy it.

AN EXCELLENT ACADEMIC INTRODUCTION, 22 Nov 2000
As an archaeology student this book came highly recomended to me. Since purchasing it I have realised why! This is a comprehensive chronological guide to the history of Britain through archaeology. From the very dawn of British pre-history to the latest fields of industrial Britain, this book looks at the surviving archaeological evidence and the way it has been uncovered . It is not the best guide to methods, but it is not meant to be. It is however an essential guide to British Archaeology and a must for all students of the subject and interested laypeople.

Good overview of the period, 30 Apr 2008
This book is one of a number of recent history books that are academically well researched, but are so well written with the layman in mind, that interest is maintained throughout and a truly remarkable story emerges. Rather than just concentrating on any one country's response to the industrial revolution, Gavin Weightman lays greater emphasis on the transmission of ideas between countries and continents, concentrating less on the well known (and often unjustifiably praised) pioneer inventors and more on the entrepreneurs or "fixers" who were ideas men who got unsung engineers in to turn their dreams into reality. What was especially fascinating for me were the stories relating to how Japan came late to industrialism but how within 50 years they had virtually caught the rest of the industrialised nations up.

There is an extensive bibliography for those who want to delve deeper into individual aspects of this subject, as it has to be admitted this is a sketch of what is obviously a much wider subject. Still it is a very good, interesting and thought provoking sketch which should appeal to anyone interested in this era of history.

One caveat would have to be that there are numerous typographical errors, stray hyphens and commas in my paperback edition which suggests that the proofs were just spell checked rather than read, but this is a minor quibble.

Thoughtful and interesting, 22 Apr 2008
This is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to learn of the origins of industry between 1776 and 1914. The chapters flow with interesting insights into the pioneers and inventors around the world at that time, with the end of one chapter acting as the introduction to the next.
It certainly removes some of the myths and legends that surround the inventions of the time, especially the Morse code chapter.
The books covers all the major technologies of the time in Europe and America in a most readable and non stuffy way.

A must for anyone interested in the history of this period.

A masterpiece, 03 Jun 2006
This book is full of incredible, powerful photography. Although Salgado is clearly expressing a political viewpoint, there is never a feeling of being patronised or preached to.

Powerful, 30 Jun 2004
This is an excellent book that made my back hairs raise. It really made me stop and think. This book is a valuable addition to my collection of books with great photographers.

A masterpiece, 14 Jan 2001
Anyone interested in photo journalism should buy this book. Salgado is one of the great photographers of our times and this is undoubtedly his most powerful book to date. Some of the images have become 20th century classics, such as the Brazilian gold mine and the Kuwaiti oil fire series. Others are less well known, but almost all the sections of this remarkable book are filled with stunning images that have been beautifully reproduced.

One of the best reporter's work ever., 09 Jun 1999
I discovered the book in a public library in Paris. I was really shocked when I just pass hundreds of pages just discovering great and greater pictures. In particular, I loved some chapters like the "Mattanza" thun-fish in Sicile, or the one settled in Bangladesh. The photographic style is pure and simple. The technique is simply perfect, so the work of Salgado is rated at a very high level, all over the book. The only "but" I find is that maybe there are so many good pictures you can swallow them at once!

A must-have book for anyone interested in photography, 01 Nov 1998
As an amateur photographer I find Salgado's book inspiring but also a little depressing...the pictures are so good I just wish I had one tenth of his skill. The thing that stands out about these pictures is the scale: a man standing next to an enormous oil tanker for example. The quality of the photography and printing in the book means it is easily worth £80. Based on this book Salgado is in my opinion the best photographer alive. I highly recomend it.

Erudite, detailed and indespensable., 09 Oct 2001
The Forging of the Modern State is the type of book that I learned to love. God knows that at first I had a love-hate relationship with Professor Evans! On the face of it, this 'looks' like a difficult book. It is dense, wordy and has so much detail. But, these are all good things of course! By the end of my studies I grew to love the book. It is so crammed full of information that I find it hard to use as much as I would like to!

His chapters are well laid out and offer an overview which is fleshed out as one progresses through the text. The thematic chapters are an innovation. They provide an overview of the important matters of the day. His chapter on class consciousness is quite simply excellent.

Overall, I highly recommed this book. It elucidates the industrial period in the late 18th and 19th century. It contains so much that a few readings are necessary - every reading revealing yet more. Finally, the compendium of information is a marvel to behold.

If you are interested in the period then buy it!

Wow!, 22 Apr 2004
The series was brilliant, and I really looked forward to reading the book - and, for once, I was not disappointed!

Ms. Cadbury should feel proud about her achievement. The book is very well written, and the information conveyed in such a relatively short space (only about 50 pages for each 'wonder') is rich, detailed and extremely interesting - and should prove interesting for everyone! She draws together tales from the labourers, from the supervisors, from the finaciers, and from the relatives of those involved with the, often, super-human projects to produce a truly fascinating book.

I don't normally go for historical books, but this is probably one of the best exeptions to that rule. All I can say is, "thank you mum for buying it!"

I would definately recommend this book to everyone...

"I came, I saw, I was conquered...", 01 Oct 2003
Deborah Cadbury had a difficult task with this book. How do you take seven examples of tremendous engineering/construction feats and condense each one into 40-50 pages....and still get across to the reader the richness and complexity of each story? Well, Ms. Cadbury has managed to do it. She gives enough details so that you can understand how difficult each of these projects were. She also includes plenty of "human interest" information, so we learn about some of the engineers involved in these projects and how their obsession with work, in several cases, affected their health and even shortened their lives. The author also talks about some of the financiers behind these projects (and some unscrupulous business practices).But Ms. Cadbury doesn't limit herself to the bigwigs. She also shows us the brawn as well as the brains - the thousands and thousands of laborers who actually did the bullwork: the people who braved 100 mile per hour winds and 100 foot waves to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse; the workers who built the Brooklyn Bridge, and got "the bends" from working in pressurized caissons under New York's East River; the Chinese laborers who froze to death in 40 below zero temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountains (or who were blown up while setting explosive charges), as the Union Pacific railroad made its way eastward from California. (The Chinese workers were considered so insignificant and dispensable that the railroad didn't even bother to keep records on how many died.) In the section on the Panama Canal, in addition to unsafe working conditions, we see another nemesis - disease - as thousands of French and, later, American workers die from Yellow Fever and Malaria, after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Tragically, many "educated" folks thought that only those people living a depraved life could be affected by the tropical diseases. If you were "upstanding," you were safe. So thought one of the canal company's directors - Jules Dingler. He brought the whole family over to Panama and watched in horror as his daughter, son, wife, and his daughter's fiance were all killed by Yellow Fever.) I have read an excellent book on the building of the Panama Canal ("The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough), which, if I recall correctly was very long...perhaps 500-600 pages. I was amazed what a good job Ms. Cadbury did of getting most of the pertinent information on this topic into such a short chapter. She is really to be commended, because doing justice to each of these stories must have been very difficult. And, again, I found a really good balance in each chapter between the technical aspects of the story and "the human touch." I'm sure that this book will cause many people to want to read more on each of these topics, and Ms. Cadbury obliges with a very nice bibliography. (From my own reading, besides recommending Mr. McCullough's book on the Panama Canal I can also suggest his very good book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, "The Great Bridge." Regarding the Scottish lighthouses, I recently read Bella Bathurst's "The Lighthouse Stevensons," and that was excellent, as well.) By the way, for the title of this review I used part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "official dedication" speech, which he gave at the Hoover Dam on September, 30 1935. I thought the words would be appropriate for any of these great human accomplishments. Kudos to Ms. Cadbury, as well, for presenting each story in such an intelligent and interesting manner.

Excellent Buy, 03 Jan 2008
This book is excellent for anyone wanting a general introduction into archaeology, but also for anyone wanting to look at specific time periods in British history, with in depth studies by some of the leading archaeologist in these fields.
This book has good studies of individual artifacts and sites, and also provides a good history of the relevant time period.
Futhermore this book also provides a good evaluation of social, economic and political factors of these archaeological sites.
This book is clear and concise which pictorial representation which makes it easy for anyone studying the field or with a general interest to understand.
I can't praise this book enough as an introdutory book, you wont find a better review of these periods without looking at books dedicted to the specific areas.

A Must buy for a General overview of British Archaeeology, 15 Jan 2001
Excellent overview of British archaeology from Paleolithic to modern. Although more leaning towards the prehistory of Britain, most periods are well covered and the detail of certain sections is excellent: in particular the Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sections show great summaries within a small amount of text. The post-Anglo Saxons sections are also well written, although this period seems less well-represented than the prehistory. The book also reflects good, up-to-date thinking on these subjects. Ideal for A-level and above, it is also well suited to the individual who wants a more detailed overview on periods within Archaeology without having to read heavy, specialised texts. Buy it.

AN EXCELLENT ACADEMIC INTRODUCTION, 22 Nov 2000
As an archaeology student this book came highly recomended to me. Since purchasing it I have realised why! This is a comprehensive chronological guide to the history of Britain through archaeology. From the very dawn of British pre-history to the latest fields of industrial Britain, this book looks at the surviving archaeological evidence and the way it has been uncovered . It is not the best guide to methods, but it is not meant to be. It is however an essential guide to British Archaeology and a must for all students of the subject and interested laypeople.

Good overview of the period, 30 Apr 2008
This book is one of a number of recent history books that are academically well researched, but are so well written with the layman in mind, that interest is maintained throughout and a truly remarkable story emerges. Rather than just concentrating on any one country's response to the industrial revolution, Gavin Weightman lays greater emphasis on the transmission of ideas between countries and continents, concentrating less on the well known (and often unjustifiably praised) pioneer inventors and more on the entrepreneurs or "fixers" who were ideas men who got unsung engineers in to turn their dreams into reality. What was especially fascinating for me were the stories relating to how Japan came late to industrialism but how within 50 years they had virtually caught the rest of the industrialised nations up.

There is an extensive bibliography for those who want to delve deeper into individual aspects of this subject, as it has to be admitted this is a sketch of what is obviously a much wider subject. Still it is a very good, interesting and thought provoking sketch which should appeal to anyone interested in this era of history.

One caveat would have to be that there are numerous typographical errors, stray hyphens and commas in my paperback edition which suggests that the proofs were just spell checked rather than read, but this is a minor quibble.

Thoughtful and interesting, 22 Apr 2008
This is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to learn of the origins of industry between 1776 and 1914. The chapters flow with interesting insights into the pioneers and inventors around the world at that time, with the end of one chapter acting as the introduction to the next.
It certainly removes some of the myths and legends that surround the inventions of the time, especially the Morse code chapter.
The books covers all the major technologies of the time in Europe and America in a most readable and non stuffy way.

A must for anyone interested in the history of this period.

A masterpiece, 03 Jun 2006
This book is full of incredible, powerful photography. Although Salgado is clearly expressing a political viewpoint, there is never a feeling of being patronised or preached to.

Powerful, 30 Jun 2004
This is an excellent book that made my back hairs raise. It really made me stop and think. This book is a valuable addition to my collection of books with great photographers.

A masterpiece, 14 Jan 2001
Anyone interested in photo journalism should buy this book. Salgado is one of the great photographers of our times and this is undoubtedly his most powerful book to date. Some of the images have become 20th century classics, such as the Brazilian gold mine and the Kuwaiti oil fire series. Others are less well known, but almost all the sections of this remarkable book are filled with stunning images that have been beautifully reproduced.

One of the best reporter's work ever., 09 Jun 1999
I discovered the book in a public library in Paris. I was really shocked when I just pass hundreds of pages just discovering great and greater pictures. In particular, I loved some chapters like the "Mattanza" thun-fish in Sicile, or the one settled in Bangladesh. The photographic style is pure and simple. The technique is simply perfect, so the work of Salgado is rated at a very high level, all over the book. The only "but" I find is that maybe there are so many good pictures you can swallow them at once!

A must-have book for anyone interested in photography, 01 Nov 1998
As an amateur photographer I find Salgado's book inspiring but also a little depressing...the pictures are so good I just wish I had one tenth of his skill. The thing that stands out about these pictures is the scale: a man standing next to an enormous oil tanker for example. The quality of the photography and printing in the book means it is easily worth £80. Based on this book Salgado is in my opinion the best photographer alive. I highly recomend it.

Erudite, detailed and indespensable., 09 Oct 2001
The Forging of the Modern State is the type of book that I learned to love. God knows that at first I had a love-hate relationship with Professor Evans! On the face of it, this 'looks' like a difficult book. It is dense, wordy and has so much detail. But, these are all good things of course! By the end of my studies I grew to love the book. It is so crammed full of information that I find it hard to use as much as I would like to!

His chapters are well laid out and offer an overview which is fleshed out as one progresses through the text. The thematic chapters are an innovation. They provide an overview of the important matters of the day. His chapter on class consciousness is quite simply excellent.

Overall, I highly recommed this book. It elucidates the industrial period in the late 18th and 19th century. It contains so much that a few readings are necessary - every reading revealing yet more. Finally, the compendium of information is a marvel to behold.

If you are interested in the period then buy it!

Must Read!, 13 Sep 2005
I had an auntie that was sent to one of these industrial schools that was mentioned in Dundalk around 1945/6. She only saw her father a few times and my mum would go and visit frequently, then they moved. I feel sick to the stomach that she obviously would have suffered as the rest of these unfortunate people did. This book is so well written, once you pick it up, you really cant put it down. The research that has been done is fantastic. I think it is right that the public get to know what went off by these animals that worked for god. I cant believe they looked down at these innocent children, they should be hung.

Another great read., 16 Feb 2005
This is another book that is a must have read. Shocked me just as much as Fear of the collar did as well. Im just shocked that this was all happening behind closed doors and the likes of these people were allowed to get away with it. They are a disgrace to man kind.
God Bless all those that suffered at the hands of these wicked people.

Harrowing reading of stolen childhoods, 12 Jan 2000
Suffer the Little Children: Very well researched with numerous personal accounts from former inmates of the Irish industrial school system. This book shows the startling level of physical and sexual abuse, starvation and neglect suffered by Irish children at the hands of the Catholic Church and the lack of protection offered by the government. Persuasive excuses offered by the system are carefully examined, one-by-one and are, through extensive research, exposed as misconceptions and myths. Well worth reading especially for those interested in Irish affairs, human rights or both.

Wow!, 22 Apr 2004
The series was brilliant, and I really looked forward to reading the book - and, for once, I was not disappointed!

Ms. Cadbury should feel proud about her achievement. The book is very well written, and the information conveyed in such a relatively short space (only about 50 pages for each 'wonder') is rich, detailed and extremely interesting - and should prove interesting for everyone! She draws together tales from the labourers, from the supervisors, from the finaciers, and from the relatives of those involved with the, often, super-human projects to produce a truly fascinating book.

I don't normally go for historical books, but this is probably one of the best exeptions to that rule. All I can say is, "thank you mum for buying it!"

I would definately recommend this book to everyone...

"I came, I saw, I was conquered...", 01 Oct 2003
Deborah Cadbury had a difficult task with this book. How do you take seven examples of tremendous engineering/construction feats and condense each one into 40-50 pages....and still get across to the reader the richness and complexity of each story? Well, Ms. Cadbury has managed to do it. She gives enough details so that you can understand how difficult each of these projects were. She also includes plenty of "human interest" information, so we learn about some of the engineers involved in these projects and how their obsession with work, in several cases, affected their health and even shortened their lives. The author also talks about some of the financiers behind these projects (and some unscrupulous business practices).But Ms. Cadbury doesn't limit herself to the bigwigs. She also shows us the brawn as well as the brains - the thousands and thousands of laborers who actually did the bullwork: the people who braved 100 mile per hour winds and 100 foot waves to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse; the workers who built the Brooklyn Bridge, and got "the bends" from working in pressurized caissons under New York's East River; the Chinese laborers who froze to death in 40 below zero temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountains (or who were blown up while setting explosive charges), as the Union Pacific railroad made its way eastward from California. (The Chinese workers were considered so insignificant and dispensable that the railroad didn't even bother to keep records on how many died.) In the section on the Panama Canal, in addition to unsafe working conditions, we see another nemesis - disease - as thousands of French and, later, American workers die from Yellow Fever and Malaria, after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Tragically, many "educated" folks thought that only those people living a depraved life could be affected by the tropical diseases. If you were "upstanding," you were safe. So thought one of the canal company's directors - Jules Dingler. He brought the whole family over to Panama and watched in horror as his daughter, son, wife, and his daughter's fiance were all killed by Yellow Fever.) I have read an excellent book on the building of the Panama Canal ("The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough), which, if I recall correctly was very long...perhaps 500-600 pages. I was amazed what a good job Ms. Cadbury did of getting most of the pertinent information on this topic into such a short chapter. She is really to be commended, because doing justice to each of these stories must have been very difficult. And, again, I found a really good balance in each chapter between the technical aspects of the story and "the human touch." I'm sure that this book will cause many people to want to read more on each of these topics, and Ms. Cadbury obliges with a very nice bibliography. (From my own reading, besides recommending Mr. McCullough's book on the Panama Canal I can also suggest his very good book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, "The Great Bridge." Regarding the Scottish lighthouses, I recently read Bella Bathurst's "The Lighthouse Stevensons," and that was excellent, as well.) By the way, for the title of this review I used part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "official dedication" speech, which he gave at the Hoover Dam on September, 30 1935. I thought the words would be appropriate for any of these great human accomplishments. Kudos to Ms. Cadbury, as well, for presenting each story in such an intelligent and interesting manner.

Excellent Buy, 03 Jan 2008
This book is excellent for anyone wanting a general introduction into archaeology, but also for anyone wanting to look at specific time periods in British history, with in depth studies by some of the leading archaeologist in these fields.
This book has good studies of individual artifacts and sites, and also provides a good history of the relevant time period.
Futhermore this book also provides a good evaluation of social, economic and political factors of these archaeological sites.
This book is clear and concise which pictorial representation which makes it easy for anyone studying the field or with a general interest to understand.
I can't praise this book enough as an introdutory book, you wont find a better review of these periods without looking at books dedicted to the specific areas.

A Must buy for a General overview of British Archaeeology, 15 Jan 2001
Excellent overview of British archaeology from Paleolithic to modern. Although more leaning towards the prehistory of Britain, most periods are well covered and the detail of certain sections is excellent: in particular the Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sections show great summaries within a small amount of text. The post-Anglo Saxons sections are also well written, although this period seems less well-represented than the prehistory. The book also reflects good, up-to-date thinking on these subjects. Ideal for A-level and above, it is also well suited to the individual who wants a more detailed overview on periods within Archaeology without having to read heavy, specialised texts. Buy it.

AN EXCELLENT ACADEMIC INTRODUCTION, 22 Nov 2000
As an archaeology student this book came highly recomended to me. Since purchasing it I have realised why! This is a comprehensive chronological guide to the history of Britain through archaeology. From the very dawn of British pre-history to the latest fields of industrial Britain, this book looks at the surviving archaeological evidence and the way it has been uncovered . It is not the best guide to methods, but it is not meant to be. It is however an essential guide to British Archaeology and a must for all students of the subject and interested laypeople.

Good overview of the period, 30 Apr 2008
This book is one of a number of recent history books that are academically well researched, but are so well written with the layman in mind, that interest is maintained throughout and a truly remarkable story emerges. Rather than just concentrating on any one country's response to the industrial revolution, Gavin Weightman lays greater emphasis on the transmission of ideas between countries and continents, concentrating less on the well known (and often unjustifiably praised) pioneer inventors and more on the entrepreneurs or "fixers" who were ideas men who got unsung engineers in to turn their dreams into reality. What was especially fascinating for me were the stories relating to how Japan came late to industrialism but how within 50 years they had virtually caught the rest of the industrialised nations up.

There is an extensive bibliography for those who want to delve deeper into individual aspects of this subject, as it has to be admitted this is a sketch of what is obviously a much wider subject. Still it is a very good, interesting and thought provoking sketch which should appeal to anyone interested in this era of history.

One caveat would have to be that there are numerous typographical errors, stray hyphens and commas in my paperback edition which suggests that the proofs were just spell checked rather than read, but this is a minor quibble.

Thoughtful and interesting, 22 Apr 2008
This is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to learn of the origins of industry between 1776 and 1914. The chapters flow with interesting insights into the pioneers and inventors around the world at that time, with the end of one chapter acting as the introduction to the next.
It certainly removes some of the myths and legends that surround the inventions of the time, especially the Morse code chapter.
The books covers all the major technologies of the time in Europe and America in a most readable and non stuffy way.

A must for anyone interested in the history of this period.

A masterpiece, 03 Jun 2006
This book is full of incredible, powerful photography. Although Salgado is clearly expressing a political viewpoint, there is never a feeling of being patronised or preached to.

Powerful, 30 Jun 2004
This is an excellent book that made my back hairs raise. It really made me stop and think. This book is a valuable addition to my collection of books with great photographers.

A masterpiece, 14 Jan 2001
Anyone interested in photo journalism should buy this book. Salgado is one of the great photographers of our times and this is undoubtedly his most powerful book to date. Some of the images have become 20th century classics, such as the Brazilian gold mine and the Kuwaiti oil fire series. Others are less well known, but almost all the sections of this remarkable book are filled with stunning images that have been beautifully reproduced.

One of the best reporter's work ever., 09 Jun 1999
I discovered the book in a public library in Paris. I was really shocked when I just pass hundreds of pages just discovering great and greater pictures. In particular, I loved some chapters like the "Mattanza" thun-fish in Sicile, or the one settled in Bangladesh. The photographic style is pure and simple. The technique is simply perfect, so the work of Salgado is rated at a very high level, all over the book. The only "but" I find is that maybe there are so many good pictures you can swallow them at once!

A must-have book for anyone interested in photography, 01 Nov 1998
As an amateur photographer I find Salgado's book inspiring but also a little depressing...the pictures are so good I just wish I had one tenth of his skill. The thing that stands out about these pictures is the scale: a man standing next to an enormous oil tanker for example. The quality of the photography and printing in the book means it is easily worth £80. Based on this book Salgado is in my opinion the best photographer alive. I highly recomend it.

Erudite, detailed and indespensable., 09 Oct 2001
The Forging of the Modern State is the type of book that I learned to love. God knows that at first I had a love-hate relationship with Professor Evans! On the face of it, this 'looks' like a difficult book. It is dense, wordy and has so much detail. But, these are all good things of course! By the end of my studies I grew to love the book. It is so crammed full of information that I find it hard to use as much as I would like to!

His chapters are well laid out and offer an overview which is fleshed out as one progresses through the text. The thematic chapters are an innovation. They provide an overview of the important matters of the day. His chapter on class consciousness is quite simply excellent.

Overall, I highly recommed this book. It elucidates the industrial period in the late 18th and 19th century. It contains so much that a few readings are necessary - every reading revealing yet more. Finally, the compendium of information is a marvel to behold.

If you are interested in the period then buy it!

Must Read!, 13 Sep 2005
I had an auntie that was sent to one of these industrial schools that was mentioned in Dundalk around 1945/6. She only saw her father a few times and my mum would go and visit frequently, then they moved. I feel sick to the stomach that she obviously would have suffered as the rest of these unfortunate people did. This book is so well written, once you pick it up, you really cant put it down. The research that has been done is fantastic. I think it is right that the public get to know what went off by these animals that worked for god. I cant believe they looked down at these innocent children, they should be hung.

Another great read., 16 Feb 2005
This is another book that is a must have read. Shocked me just as much as Fear of the collar did as well. Im just shocked that this was all happening behind closed doors and the likes of these people were allowed to get away with it. They are a disgrace to man kind.
God Bless all those that suffered at the hands of these wicked people.

Harrowing reading of stolen childhoods, 12 Jan 2000
Suffer the Little Children: Very well researched with numerous personal accounts from former inmates of the Irish industrial school system. This book shows the startling level of physical and sexual abuse, starvation and neglect suffered by Irish children at the hands of the Catholic Church and the lack of protection offered by the government. Persuasive excuses offered by the system are carefully examined, one-by-one and are, through extensive research, exposed as misconceptions and myths. Well worth reading especially for those interested in Irish affairs, human rights or both.

Great Introduction to a Complex Subject, 16 Apr 2008
This is the first book I ever read on the Industrial Revolution, since then I have read about 15 others and written a dissertation on the textile industry during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

It is a fantastic read and is accessible both casually and as a building block for further investigation into the period. There is a particularly good analysis of the banking and credit system, which is rare in many books which tackle the industrial revolution as a whole. Mathias provides an introduction which I firmly believe is second to none, he sets the scene well and throughout takes an academic yet stylised approach to the subject. Mathias also provides a fantastic series of tables and figures in the back of the book, which compliment the text wonderfully.

My only word of warning, to anyone considering this as their first read on the subject, would be that it is relatively long. However do not allow that to put you off!

Wow!, 22 Apr 2004
The series was brilliant, and I really looked forward to reading the book - and, for once, I was not disappointed!

Ms. Cadbury should feel proud about her achievement. The book is very well written, and the information conveyed in such a relatively short space (only about 50 pages for each 'wonder') is rich, detailed and extremely interesting - and should prove interesting for everyone! She draws together tales from the labourers, from the supervisors, from the finaciers, and from the relatives of those involved with the, often, super-human projects to produce a truly fascinating book.

I don't normally go for historical books, but this is probably one of the best exeptions to that rule. All I can say is, "thank you mum for buying it!"

I would definately recommend this book to everyone...

"I came, I saw, I was conquered...", 01 Oct 2003
Deborah Cadbury had a difficult task with this book. How do you take seven examples of tremendous engineering/construction feats and condense each one into 40-50 pages....and still get across to the reader the richness and complexity of each story? Well, Ms. Cadbury has managed to do it. She gives enough details so that you can understand how difficult each of these projects were. She also includes plenty of "human interest" information, so we learn about some of the engineers involved in these projects and how their obsession with work, in several cases, affected their health and even shortened their lives. The author also talks about some of the financiers behind these projects (and some unscrupulous business practices).But Ms. Cadbury doesn't limit herself to the bigwigs. She also shows us the brawn as well as the brains - the thousands and thousands of laborers who actually did the bullwork: the people who braved 100 mile per hour winds and 100 foot waves to build the Bell Rock Lighthouse; the workers who built the Brooklyn Bridge, and got "the bends" from working in pressurized caissons under New York's East River; the Chinese laborers who froze to death in 40 below zero temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountains (or who were blown up while setting explosive charges), as the Union Pacific railroad made its way eastward from California. (The Chinese workers were considered so insignificant and dispensable that the railroad didn't even bother to keep records on how many died.) In the section on the Panama Canal, in addition to unsafe working conditions, we see another nemesis - disease - as thousands of French and, later, American workers die from Yellow Fever and Malaria, after being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Tragically, many "educated" folks thought that only those people living a depraved life could be affected by the tropical diseases. If you were "upstanding," you were safe. So thought one of the canal company's directors - Jules Dingler. He brought the whole family over to Panama and watched in horror as his daughter, son, wife, and his daughter's fiance were all killed by Yellow Fever.) I have read an excellent book on the building of the Panama Canal ("The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough), which, if I recall correctly was very long...perhaps 500-600 pages. I was amazed what a good job Ms. Cadbury did of getting most of the pertinent information on this topic into such a short chapter. She is really to be commended, because doing justice to each of these stories must have been very difficult. And, again, I found a really good balance in each chapter between the technical aspects of the story and "the human touch." I'm sure that this book will cause many people to want to read more on each of these topics, and Ms. Cadbury obliges with a very nice bibliography. (From my own reading, besides recommending Mr. McCullough's book on the Panama Canal I can also suggest his very good book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, "The Great Bridge." Regarding the Scottish lighthouses, I recently read Bella Bathurst's "The Lighthouse Stevensons," and that was excellent, as well.) By the way, for the title of this review I used part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "official dedication" speech, which he gave at the Hoover Dam on September, 30 1935. I thought the words would be appropriate for any of these great human accomplishments. Kudos to Ms. Cadbury, as well, for presenting each story in such an intelligent and interesting manner.

Excellent Buy, 03 Jan 2008
This book is excellent for anyone wanting a general introduction into archaeology, but also for anyone wanting to look at specific time periods in British history, with in depth studies by some of the leading archaeologist in these fields.
This book has good studies of individual artifacts and sites, and also provides a good history of the relevant time period.
Futhermore this book also provides a good evaluation of social, economic and political factors of these archaeological sites.
This book is clear and concise which pictorial representation which makes it easy for anyone studying the field or with a general interest to understand.
I can't praise this book enough as an introdutory book, you wont find a better review of these periods without looking at books dedicted to the specific areas.

A Must buy for a General overview of British Archaeeology, 15 Jan 2001
Excellent overview of British archaeology from Paleolithic to modern. Although more leaning towards the prehistory of Britain, most periods are well covered and the detail of certain sections is excellent: in particular the Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sections show great summaries within a small amount of text. The post-Anglo Saxons sections are also well written, although this period seems less well-represented than the prehistory. The book also reflects good, up-to-date thinking on these subjects. Ideal for A-level and above, it is also well suited to the individual who wants a more detailed overview on periods within Archaeology without having to read heavy, specialised texts. Buy it.

AN EXCELLENT ACADEMIC INTRODUCTION, 22 Nov 2000
As an archaeology student this book came highly recomended to me. Since purchasing it I have realised why! This is a comprehensive chronological guide to the history of Britain through archaeology. From the very dawn of British pre-history to the latest fields of industrial Britain, this book looks at the surviving archaeological evidence and the way it has been uncovered . It is not the best guide to methods, but it is not meant to be. It is however an essential guide to British Archaeology and a must for all students of the subject and interested laypeople.

Good overview of the period, 30 Apr 2008
This book is one of a number of recent history books that are academically well researched, but are so well written with the layman in mind, that interest is maintained throughout and a truly remarkable story emerges. Rather than just concentrating on any one country's response to the industrial revolution, Gavin Weightman lays greater emphasis on the transmission of ideas between countries and continents, concentrating less on the well known (and often unjustifiably praised) pioneer inventors and more on the entrepreneurs or "fixers" who were ideas men who got unsung engineers in to turn their dreams into reality. What was especially fascinating for me were the stories relating to how Japan came late to industrialism but how within 50 years they had virtually caught the rest of the industrialised nations up.

There is an extensive bibliography for those who want to delve deeper into individual aspects of this subject, as it has to be admitted this is a sketch of what is obviously a much wider subject. Still it is a very good, interesting and thought provoking sketch which should appeal to anyone interested in this era of history.

One caveat would have to be that there are numerous typographical errors, stray hyphens and commas in my paperback edition which suggests that the proofs were just spell checked rather than read, but this is a minor quibble.

Thoughtful and interesting, 22 Apr 2008
This is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to learn of the origins of industry between 1776 and 1914. The chapters flow with interesting insights into the pioneers and inventors around the world at that time, with the end of one chapter acting as the introduction to the next.
It certainly removes some of the myths and legends that surround the inventions of the time, especially the Morse code chapter.
The books covers all the major technologies of the time in Europe and America in a most readable and non stuffy way.

A must for anyone interested in the history of this period.

A masterpiece, 03 Jun 2006
This book is full of incredible, powerful photography. Although Salgado is clearly expressing a political viewpoint, there is never a feeling of being patronised or preached to.

Powerful, 30 Jun 2004
This is an excellent book that made my back hairs raise. It really made me stop and think. This book is a valuable addition to my collection of books with great photographers.

A masterpiece, 14 Jan 2001
Anyone interested in photo journalism should buy this book. Salgado is one of the great photographers of our times and this is undoubtedly his most powerful book to date. Some of the images have become 20th century classics, such as the Brazilian gold mine and the Kuwaiti oil fire series. Others are less well known, but almost all the sections of this remarkable book are filled with stunning images that have been beautifully reproduced.

One of the best reporter's work ever., 09 Jun 1999
I discovered the book in a public library in Paris. I was really shocked when I just pass hundreds of pages just discovering great and greater pictures. In particular, I loved some chapters like the "Mattanza" thun-fish in Sicile, or the one settled in Bangladesh. The photographic style is pure and simple. The technique is simply perfect, so the work of Salgado is rated at a very high level, all over the book. The only "but" I find is that maybe there are so many good pictures you can swallow them at once!

A must-have book for anyone interested in photography, 01 Nov 1998
As an amateur photographer I find Salgado's book inspiring but also a little depressing...the pictures are so good I just wish I had one tenth of his skill. The thing that stands out about these pictures is the scale: a man standing next to an enormous oil tanker for example. The quality of the photography and printing in the book means it is easily worth £80. Based on this book Salgado is in my opinion the best photographer alive. I highly recomend it.

Erudite, detailed and indespensable., 09 Oct 2001
The Forging of the Modern State is the type of book that I learned to love. God knows that at first I had a love-hate relationship with Professor Evans! On the face of it, this 'looks' like a difficult book. It is dense, wordy and has so much detail. But, these are all good things of course! By the end of my studies I grew to love the book. It is so crammed full of information that I find it hard to use as much as I would like to!

His chapters are well laid out and offer an overview which is fleshed out as one progresses through the text. The thematic chapters are an innovation. They provide an overview of the important matters of the day. His chapter on class consciousness is quite simply excellent.

Overall, I highly recommed this book. It elucidates the industrial period in the late 18th and 19th century. It contains so much that a few readings are necessary - every reading revealing yet more. Finally, the compendium of information is a marvel to behold.

If you are interested in the period then buy it!

Must Read!, 13 Sep 2005
I had an auntie that was sent to one of these industrial schools that was mentioned in Dundalk around 1945/6. She only saw her father a few times and my mum would go and visit frequently, then they moved. I feel sick to the stomach that she obviously would have suffered as the rest of these unfortunate people did. This book is so well written, once you pick it up, you really cant put it down. The research that has been done is fantastic. I think it is right that the public get to know what went off by these animals that worked for god. I cant believe they looked down at these innocent children, they should be hung.

Another great read., 16 Feb 2005
This is an