James May's Magnificent Machines: How men in sheds have changed our lives - Softcover

The twentieth century was a time of extraordinary change as new technologies and new inventions emerged at a bewildering rate. Our world was transformed beyond recognition, and so were our lives and our aspirations. "Inventing the Twentieth Century" is an entertaining, informative and insightful look at the marvels of the twentieth century. James May and Phil Dolling explore the iconic themes of the century such as: flight, space travel, television, mechanised war, medicine, video games, electronic music, skyscrapers, electronic espionage and much more. But they also lead us down blind alleys to discover the hidden story behind why some inventions like the Zeppelin, the hovercraft or the Theremin struggled to make their mark. They examine the tipping points - when technologies such as the car or the internet became unstoppable - and get up close by looking at the nuts and bolt of remarkable inventions. Packed with surprising statistics and intriguing facts, this is the ideal book for anyone who wants to know how stuff works and why some stuff didn't make it.

James May is a writer, broadcaster and co-host of Top Gear on BBC2. He writes a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph and has presented series for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky. His previous books include May on Motors and Oz and James' Big Wine Adventure. He is currently training to qualify for his pilot's license. Phil Dolling is an Executive Producer for BBC Science and History, and has worked on many award-winning series including Hannibal, Egypt, Genghis Khan and Space.