An important new study with a vast scope: the people and events that made the achievements of Stephenson and Brunel possible

Stuart Hylton has published 27 books on historical subjects, including three railway books, The Grand Experiment, What the Railways Did for Us (shortlisted for the Ian Allan Railway Book of the Year award 2015), and Steam Engines and Steam Railways: A Young Person's Guide. He is a member of the Education Team at the Great Western Society's Didcot Railway Centre, and a volunteer at Reading Museum, giving talks and appearing on radio, and had a regular local history column in the local newspaper.