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Books > Professional & Technical > Technology: general issues > History of engineering & technology
This title was first published in 2003. The history of roads in
Great Britain has not been one of steady development, but rather,
one that has waxed and waned in response to social, military and
economic needs, and also as to whether there have been alternative
methods of transport available. Paralleling this, the technical
aspects of road construction - with the one great exception of
Roman roads - can be seen as a fitful progression of improvement
followed by neglect as the roadmaker has responded, albeit tardily
on occasion, to the needs of the road user. This text describes the
technical development of British roads in relation to the needs of
the time, and thereby touches upon its relation to the history of
the country more generally.
This little known Heinkel fighter design was eventually canceled
yet saw service in the Spanish Civil War.
One day in the spring of 2013, a box appeared outside a
fourth-floor apartment door in Brooklyn, New York. The recipient,
who didn't know the sender, only knew she was supposed to bring
this box to a friend, who would ferry it to another friend. This
was Edward Snowden's box-printouts of documents proving that the US
government had built a massive surveillance apparatus and used it
to spy on its own people-and the friend on the end of this chain
was filmmaker Laura Poitras. Thus the biggest national security
leak of the digital era was launched via a remarkably analog
network, the US Postal Service. This is just one of the odd, ironic
details that emerges from the story of how Jessica Bruder and Dale
Maharidge, two experienced journalists but security novices (and
the friends who received and ferried the box) got drawn into the
Snowden story as behind-the-scenes players. Their initially
stumbling, increasingly paranoid, and sometimes comic efforts to
help bring Snowden's leaks to light, and ultimately, to understand
their significance, unfold in an engrossing narrative that includes
emails and diary entries from Poitras. This is an illuminating
essay on the status of transparency, privacy, and trust in the age
of surveillance.
At the end of the Second World War, Germany lay at the mercy of its
occupiers, all of whom launched programmes of scientific and
technological exploitation. Each occupying nation sought to bolster
their own armouries and industries with the spoils of war, and
Britain was no exception. Shrouded in secrecy yet directed at the
top levels of government and driven by ingenuity from across the
civil service and armed forces, Britain made exploitation a key
priority. By examining factories and laboratories, confiscating
prototypes and blueprints, and interrogating and even recruiting
German experts, Britain sought to utilise the innovations of the
last war to prepare for the next. This ground-breaking book tells
the full story of British exploitation for the first time, sheds
new light on the legacies of the Second World War, and contributes
to histories of intelligence, science, warfare and power in the
midst of the twentieth century.
The famous and versatile World War II German seaplane.
By 1838, over two thousand Americans had been killed and many
hundreds injured by exploding steam engines on steamboats. After
calls for a solution in two State of the Union addresses, a Senate
Select Committee met to consider an investigative report from the
Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, the first federally funded
investigation into a technical.
First published in 1925. This study examines the advances in
engineering and science in the nineteenth century. The author
examines topics on locomotion and sea travel, photography,
chemistry, electricity amongst many other industrial and scientific
developments. This title will be of interest to historians as well
as scientists and engineers.
Providing a global perspective on the development of American
technology, Technology and American Society offers a historical
narrative detailing major technological transformations over the
last three centuries. With coverage devoted to both dramatic
breakthroughs and incremental innovations, authors Gary Cross and
Rick Szostak analyze the cause-and-effect relationship of
technological change and its role in the constant drive for
improvement and modernization. This fully-updated 3rd edition
extends coverage of industry, home, office, agriculture, transport,
constructions, and services into the twenty-first century,
concluding with a new chapter on recent electronic and
technological advances. Technology and American Society remains the
ideal introduction to the myriad interactions of technological
advancement with social, economic, cultural, and military change
throughout the course of American history.
'Speckled with anecdotes, insights and surprises. It is great fun -
and utterly timely' Sunday Times 'Standage writes with a masterly
clarity' New York Times 'The product of deep research, great
intelligence and burnished prose . . . It is rare that I encounter
a non-fiction author whose prose is so elegant that it is worth
reading for itself. Standage is a writer of this class' Wall Street
Journal Beginning around 3,500 BC with the wheel, and moving
through the eras of horsepower, trains and bicycles, Tom Standage
puts the rise of the car - and the future of urban transport - into
a broader historical context. Our society has been shaped by the
car in innumerable ways, many of which are so familiar that we no
longer notice them. Why does red mean stop and green mean go? Why
do some countries drive on the left, and some on the right? How did
cars, introduced only a little over a century ago, change the way
the world was administered, laid out and policed, along with
experiences like eating and shopping? And what might travel in a
post-car world look like? As social transformations from
ride-sharing to the global pandemic force us to critically
re-examine our relationship with personal transportation, A Brief
History of Motion is an essential contribution to our understanding
of how the modern world came to be.
First published in 1978. This biography aims solve the problem of
the lack of access to information regarding American engineers and
technologists of the nineteenth-century, whilst also providing
opportunities for scholars to study and assess the work of hitherto
little known, potentially important figures. This title will be of
interest to scholars and students of science and history.
The Triumphs, Struggles, and Secrets of a Captain's Life Richard
Metz was a Great Lakes captain for 20 years. He experienced wild
weather, close calls, near misses, and events that can only be
described as "unimaginable." He has incredible sea stories to tell,
and now they are yours to enjoy. Take an entertaining look at life
aboard a variety of Great Lakes ships. Read 26 compelling tales of
a Great Lakes crewmate and captain, including stories about the
Gales of November, the night of the Edmund Fitzgerald's sinking,
and more. Plus, you'll be fascinated by the details and full-color
photographs of the ships themselves. If you're a history buff, a
Great Lakes enthusiast, a ship watcher, or a fan of a good yarn,
Sea Stories is for you!
This important volume examines European perspectives on the
historical relations that women have maintained with information
and communication technologies (ICTs), since the telegraph.
Features: describes how gendered networks have formed around ICT
since the late 19th Century; reviews the gendered issues revealed
by the conflict between the actress Ms Sylviac and the French
telephone administration in 1904, or by 'feminine' blogs; examines
how gender representations, age categories, and uses of ICT
interact and are mutually formed in children's magazines;
illuminates the participation of women in the early days of
computing, through a case study on the Rothamsted Statistics
Department; presents a comparative study of women in computing in
France, Finland and the UK, revealing similar gender divisions
within the ICT professions of these countries; discusses diversity
interventions and the part that history could (and should) play to
ensure women do not take second place in specific occupational
sectors.
A pathbreaking history of the regulatory foundations of America's
twentieth-century aerial preeminence. Today, the federal government
possesses unparalleled authority over the atmosphere of the United
States. Yet when the Wright Brothers inaugurated the air age on
December 17, 1903, the sky was an unregulated frontier. As
increasing numbers of aircraft threatened public safety in
subsequent decades and World War I accentuated national security
concerns about aviation, the need for government intervention
became increasingly apparent. But where did authority over the
airplane reside within America's federalist system? And what should
US policy look like for a device that could readily travel over
physical barriers and political borders? In Sovereign Skies, Sean
Seyer provides a radically new understanding of the origins of
American aviation policy in the first decades of the twentieth
century. Drawing on the concept of mental models from cognitive
science, regime theory from political science, and extensive
archival sources, Seyer situates the development, spread, and
institutionalization of a distinct American regulatory idea within
its proper international context. He illustrates how a relatively
small group of bureaucrats, military officers, industry leaders,
and engineers drew upon previous regulatory schemes and
international principles in their struggle to define government's
relationship to the airplane. In so doing, he challenges the
current domestic-centered narrative within the literature and
delineates the central role of the airplane in the reinterpretation
of federal power under the commerce clause. By placing the origins
of aviation policy within a broader transnational context,
Sovereign Skies highlights the influence of global regimes on US
policy and demonstrates the need for continued engagement in world
affairs. Filling a major gap in the historiography of aviation, it
will be of interest to readers of aviation, diplomatic, and legal
history, as well as regulatory policy and American political
development.
Though Bicentennial aircraft schemes and markings, along with many
of the aircraft of that period, have all but faded into obscurity,
this colorful volume not only preserves their images, but reflects
the spirit that prevailed during that historic period in U.S.
aviation history. Presented here for the first time are the vivid,
patriotic colors and schemes worn by aircraft during a time when
the nation, still trying to purge itself of Vietnam, was swept with
overdue patriotism; a time that compelled legions in civil and
military air service to proudly wave their flag by decorating the
aircraft that were their livelihood, or simply their hobby. One can
only marvel at the meticulously-applied designs that transformed
many aircraft into flying billboards of Americana. This volume is a
boon to aviation enthusiasts, historians and modelers alike. Wayne
Mutza is also the author of Grumman Albatross, and Lockheed P2V
Neptune (both titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).
Published in 1982 this is an introductory study of the
international spread of modern industrial technology. The book
considers the preconditions necessary for a country to adopt
effectively modern industrial technology in the nineteenth century
and the mechanisms by which this technology spread from one country
to another. A global view is adopted and thus the book supplements
others which are concerned with the industrial developmet of
individual countries during the same period. It will be invaluable
to anyone seeking an understanding of the early history of
capitalism.
Two decades after the American Civil War, no name was more closely
associated with the nation's inventive and entrepreneurial spirit
than that of Thomas Edison. The restless changes of those years
were reflected in the life of America's foremost inventor. Having
cemented his reputation with his electric lighting system, Edison
had decided to withdraw partially from that field. At the start of
1885, newly widowed at mid-life with three young children, he
launched into a series of personal and professional migrations,
setting in motion chains of events that would influence his work
and fundamentally reshape his life. Edison's inventive activities
took off in new directions, flowing between practical projects
(such as wireless and high-capacity telegraph systems) and
futuristic ones (exploring forms of electromagnetic energy and the
convertibility of one to another). Inside of two years, he would
travel widely, marry the daughter of a prominent industrialist and
religious educator, leave New York City for a grand home in a
sylvan suburb, and construct a winter laboratory and second home in
Florida. Edison's family and interior life are remarkably visible
at this moment; his papers include the only known diary in which he
recorded personal thoughts and events. By 1887, the familiar
rhythms of his life began to reassert themselves in his new
settings; the family faded from view as he planned, built, and
occupied a New Jersey laboratory complex befitting his status. The
eighth volume of the series, New Beginnings includes 358 documents
(chosen from among thousands) that are the most revealing and
representative of Edison's work, life, and place in American
culture in these years. Illustrated with hundreds of Edison's
drawings, these documents are further illuminated by meticulous
research on a wide range of sources, including the most recently
digitized newspapers and journals of the day.
This study explores the shared history of the French empire from
the perspective of material culture in order to re-evaluate the
participation of colonial, Creole, and indigenous agency in the
construction of imperial spaces. The decentred approach to a global
history of the French colonial realm allows a new understanding of
power relations in different locales. Providing case studies from
four parts of the French empire, the book draws on illustrative
evidence from the French archives in Aix-en-Provence and Paris as
well as local archives in each colonial location. The case studies,
in the Caribbean, Canada, Africa, and India, each examine building
projects to show the mixed group of planners, experts, and workers,
the composite nature of building materials, and elements of
different 'glocal' styles that give the empire its concrete
manifestation. -- .
An important outcome of the Fourth World Internet Conference, this
book provides a comprehensive account of the status quo and trends
in global Internet development. Covering network infrastructure,
information technology, digital economy, e-governance, cyber
security, and international cyberspace governance, it presents the
Global Internet Development Index System to assess the Internet
development of various major countries and emerging economies.
The Historical Dictionary of Science and Technology in Modern China
provides the most up-to-date information on science and technology
in China from the late nineteenth century to the present. Special
attention is given to the historical factors, scientists, and
historical figures behind each scientific development. In
particular, this book pays attention to the scientists who were
persecuted to death or tortured during the Cultural Revolution
(1966-1976), and whose scientific research was therefore tragically
cut short. The historical dictionary provides information on
science and technology in China from the late nineteenth century to
the present including: .a chronology; .introduction; .extensive
bibliography; .over 700 cross-referenced dictionary entries on
major scientific and technological fields and sub-fields; .entries
on western scholars and educators who also impacted scientific
achievements in China. This book is an excellent access point for
students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the
science and technology in China."
The Lockheed P-80/F-80 Shooting Star was the first American
operational jet fighter. David McLarens new book chronicles the
development and early trials of the aircraft during Lockheeds
groundbreaking attempts to create a viable jet fighter, in a period
when jet propulsion was still an innovative unknown. This period
also saw engineers and test pilots like Kelly Johnson and Tony
LeVier facing many challenges, incidents and accidents as they
attempted to create a new fighter from yet untested aerodynamic
theories, and engines that were still under development. Also
discussed are the record breaking transcontinental and absoulte
speed records set by the Shooting Star. Detailed analysis of the
Shooting Stars combat record in Korea shows why the F-80 flew more
combat missions than any aircraft in the war theater. Also
presented is a summation of all USAF, USAFR, and foreign countries
that flew the P-80/F-80. David McLaren is also the author of
Lockheed F-94 Starfire(with Marty Isham), and Beware the
Thunderbolt!: The 56th Fighter Group in World War II (both titles
are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).
This new book covers the 388th TFW; a Composite Wing based at Korat
RTAFB, Thailand, consisting of fighters, Wild Weasel aircraft,
airborne jamming aircraft and AWACS aircraft. The author flew 133
combat missions in Southeast Asia in 1972, and was assigned to the
469th TFS, one of the two F-4E squadrons of the 388th TFW. The book
discusses in detail the Wing, the Squadrons and the aircraft they
flew: the F-4. F-105G Wild Weasel, A-7D, EB-66, EC-121, and C-130.
Also covered are the mission types, as well as operations of the
Wing during the Linebacker Campaign over North Vietnam. Narratives
of all the 388th MiG kills and aircraft losses during 1972 are
included. The book contains over 170 color and black and white
photographs taken by the author, as well as theatre maps. A
selection of official and unofficial flight suit patches is also
included. Don Logan is also the author of Rockwell B-1B: SACs Last
Bomber, and Northrops T-38 Talon: A Pictorial History(both titles
are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).
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