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The Lunar Men
The Inventors of the Modern World 1730-1810
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The Lunar Men
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
In the 1760s a group of amateur experimenters met and made friends in the Midlands. Most came from humble families, all lived far from the centre of things, but they were young and their optimism was boundless: together they would change the world.
The Lunar Men by Jenny Uglow is a vivid group portrait that brings to life the Lunar Society of Birmingham, a group of eighteenth-century amateur experimenters led by the larger-than-life Erasmus Darwin.
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Description
In the 1760s, a group of amateur experimenters met and made friends in the Midlands. Most came from humble families, all lived far from the centre of things, but they were young and their optimism was boundless: together they would change the world.
Among them were the ambitious toy-maker Matthew Boulton and his partner James Watt, of steam-engine fame; the potter Josiah Wedgewood; the larger-than-life Erasmus Darwin, physician, poet, inventor, and theorist of evolution (a forerunner of his grandson Charles). Later came Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen and fighting radical.
With a small band of allies, they formed the Lunar Society of Birmingham (so called because it met at each full moon) and kick-started the Industrial Revolution. Blending science, art, and commerce, the "Lunar Men" built canals, launched balloons, named plants, gases, and minerals, changed the face of England and the china in its drawing rooms, and plotted to revolutionise its soul.
This exhilarating account in The Lunar Men uncovers the friendships, political passions, love affairs, and love of knowledge (and power) that drove these extraordinary men. It echoes to the thud of pistons and the wheeze and snort of engines, and brings to life the tradesmen, artisans, and tycoons who shaped and fired the modern age.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Lunar Men by Jenny Uglow has been praised for its compelling narrative that vividly brings to life the intellectual and social dynamics of a group of 18th-century thinkers, including figures like Erasmus Darwin and James Watt. The book is noted for its rich historical detail and engaging portrayal of the intersection between science, industry, and art during the Enlightenment period, offering readers both an informative and entertaining account. Uglow's ability to weave the personal stories of these innovators into the broader context of the Industrial Revolution has been particularly well received by critics.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780571216109
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 04 September 2003
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Faber & Faber
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 38.0mm
Width: 205.0mm
Height: 128.0mm
Weight: 422g
Pages: 608
About the Author
Jenny Uglow grew up in Cumbria, and then Dorset. After leaving Oxford, she worked in publishing and is now an Editorial Director of Chatto and Windus, part of Random House. She reviews for radio and for the Times Literary Supplement, Sunday Times and the Guardian, and acts as historical consultant on several BBC 'classic serials', including Wives and Daughters, The Way We Live Now, Daniel Deronda, and the forthcoming Trollope adaptationHe Knew He Was Right.Jenny is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, was on the Advisory Group for the Humanities of the British Library, and is Vice-President of the Gaskell Society and an Honorary Visiting Professor at the University of Warwick.
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