Did you know that Archimedes was run through by an irate Roman soldier as he was working out a mathematical problem in the sand? Did you know that Louis Pasteur tried to destroy the Prussian economy by deciphering and releasing the recipe for German-made lager to everyone? These are just two examples of famous, unusual, erratic, and occasionally patently insane engineering stories collected in Buses, Bankers & The Beer of Revenge by historian Justin Pollard.

In its 50 stories, you'll read of aircraft carriers made of ice, Roman turbines, Greek computers and Renassaince hypertext. You'll be a fly-on-the-wall in the critical argument between British and American engineers about the shape of lightning conductors. Scotland will shake with earthquakes and cars will be made out of beans. But most of all, we will all celebrate the joys and perils of living in an engineered world.

Read how Archimedes hatred of engineering killed him.
Read an interview with Justin Pollard

I Prologue
Episode One – A Cautionary Tale

II Computers, Robots and Thinking Machines
Episode Two – A Small Miracle
Episode Three – Drawing Water
Episode Four – The Key to Success
Episode Five – Return of the Mechanical Turk
Episode Six – The Robots are Coming!
Episode Seven – The Forecast Factory
Episode Eight – Engineering is not always about ‘stuff’

III Travel
Episode Nine – Up, Up and Away
Episode Ten – By Way of a Small Demonstration
Episode Eleven – On the Buses
Episode Twelve – Flying Trains
Episode Thirteen – Go To Work in a Bean
Episode Fourteen – Going Down

IV Fighting
Episode Fifteen – Bright Sparks
Episode Sixteen – The War of the Currents
Episode Seventeen – The War of the Knobs and Points
Episode Eighteen – The Beer of Revenge
Episode Nineteen – No More Heroes
(or why timing in engineering is everything)

V Blowing Things Up
Episode Twenty – The Shoreham Mystery Towers
Episode Twenty-One – Bang Goes Another Good Idea
Episode Twenty-Two – The Ice Man
Episode Twenty-Three – Spring Time
Episode Twenty-Four – Father Christmas
Episode Twenty-Five – Snap, Crackle and Pop
Episode Twenty-Six – The Good Banker
Episode Twenty-Seven – Silent Death

VI Blood and Guts
Episode Twenty-Eight – The Soft Machine
Episode Twenty-Nine – The Great Preserver
Episode Thirty – Ouch!
Episode Thirty-One – When in Doubt …
Episode Thirty-Two – Engineering Extinction

VII Yum!
Episode Thirty-Three – For Your Convenience
Episode Thirty-Four – Stephenson’s Rocket
Episode Thirty-Five – Hard Tack
Episode Thirty-Six – A Slippery Customer

VIII Immortality
Episode Thirty-Seven – The Hypogeum
Episode Thirty-Eight – Cleopatra’s Needle
Episode Thirty-Nine – Fame
Episode Forty – Indiana Jones Eat Your Heart Out
Episode Forty-One – Hidden Treasures
Episode Forty-Two – Coade Stone
Episode Forty-Three – The Empty City
Episode Forty-Four – Shakey Toun

IX Oh dear
Episode Forty-Five – The Boston Molasses Disaster
Episode Forty-Six – That Sinking Feeling
Episode Forty-Seven – All At Sea
Episode Forty-Eight – Glass Rain
Episode Forty-Nine – The Never-Ending Story

X Epilogue
Episode Fifty – The Forgotten Engineer

Justin Pollard is a historian who has several jobs which together almost make up a career. He spends most his time writing books, magazine articles and television shows and advising on feature films. In print he has written a biography of Alfred the Great and a history of ancient Alexandria, whilst on television he is one of the writers of the BBC show QI. He has also worked on lots of different movies from Elizabeth and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas to Pirates of the Caribbean. He has also written nine books, one of which has an exploding toilet in it.