Fifty machines that changed the course of history
By: written by Eric Chaline
Publisher: Firefly Books
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Buffalo, N.Y
Language: eng
Number of pages: 224
ISBN-13: 9781770850903
Subjects: Social aspects; History; Machinery; Inventions
Other titles: 50 machines that changed the course of history
Description: Gives the historical and technological context behind fifty machines that influenced the development of human civilization.

"Survey of the mechanical devices that propelled 18th-century society into the 19th and 20th centuries. The book celebrates more than 200 years of technological development at the height of the Industrial Revolution. These are not generic inventions but rather specific, branded machines whose names in many cases have become synonymous with the machine or its purpose. The entries fall into eight categories relating to their sphere of influence: Industry, Agriculture, Media, Transport, Science, Computing, Energy and Home. Concise text describes the machines, what led to their invention, and the effects on society."--Publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-219) and index.
Table of contents: title: Jacquard loom; title: Roberts' lathe; title: Stephenson's "rocket"; title: Roberts' loom; title: Whitworth planing machines; title: Corliss steam engine; title: Babbage difference engine; title: Singer "turtle back" sewing machine; title: SS Great Eastern; title: Hyatt stuffing machine; title: Gramme machine; title: Linotype machine; title: Parsons' steam turbine; title: "Rover" safety bicycle; title: Westinghouse AC system; title: Berliner "gramophone"; title: Lumière "cinématographe"; title: Marconi radio; title: Diesel engine; title: Underwood no. 1 typewriter; title: Kodak "brownie" camera; title: Tungsram light bulb; title: Automatic electric candlestick telephoine; title: Model T Ford; title: Hoover suction sweeper; title: Holt Caterpillar combine harvester; title: Black & Decker electric drill; title: G.E. "monitor top" refrigerator; title: LZ 127 Graf zeppelin; title: Baird "televisor"; title: Philco-York air conditioner; title: Siemens electron microscope; title: Mittlewerk V-2 rocket; title: G.E. top-loading washing machine; title: Ampex model 200A tape recorder; title: De Havilland DH106 Comet; title: Victa Rotomo fan mower; title: Magnox nuclear reactor; title: Unimate 1900; title: Saturn V rocket; title: EMI CT scanner; title: JVC HR-3300EK; title: Atari 2600; title: Sony TPS-L2 "walkman"; title: Vestas HVK10; title: IBM PC 5150; title: Hayes smartmodem 300; title: ABI 370A DNA sequencer; title: Hubble space telescope; title: Motorola StarTAC.