The History of Engineering. The Most Important Technical Achievements from Ancient Times to the 20th Century

This book presents a fascinating overview of the development of engineering art in the history of Western civilization from its origins to the twentieth century. The authors emphasize achievements that they believe are the most important and have had the... greatest impact on the development of human civilization, providing magnificent examples of masterpieces of creative engineering thought. These include the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the construction of Egyptian pyramids and temples; the ingenious mechanisms of Archimedes; the complex designs of pipelines and bridges; tunnels constructed in mountains and dug underwater; canals; steamboats; locomotives - in short, everything that requires extensive technical knowledge, experience, and courage. The authors explain the purpose of inventions, provide detailed descriptions of their components and how they interact, report key dimensions, and give an understanding of the construction or assembly technology. The review concludes with an essay on the influence of engineering on society, asserting that technology should promote the enhancement of ethical and aesthetic values.
The book is richly illustrated and written in simple accessible language, not burdened with a lot of technical terms and details.