Author Description

Chronologically, the text is divided into two parts, the first telling the story up to ca. 1750 A. D. -- the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Britain - and the second continuing it up to 1900. The book begins with a general historical survey of ancient civilizations, then goes on to consider such topics as food production, metalworking, building construction, early sources of power and the beginning of the chemical industry. The second and lengthier portion of the text focuses on the development of the steam engine, machine tools, modern transport, mining coal and metals, the rise of the modern chemical industry, textiles, the internal combustion engine, electricity and more.