How Britain Worked

It is a largely forgotten fact that Britain was the first industrialized country in the world, but Guy Martin, the cult motorcycle racer and mechanic, is about to remind us how the Industrial Revolution helped make Britain great. Guy shows how the discoveries made in the late 18th to the19th centuries are to thank for the ease of our every day lives: in order to cook a bacon and egg sandwich in Industrial-era conditions, Guy has to restore a steam locomotive and railway to have the components delivered to the local shop; he has to bring a saw mill back into working order to be able to make a bicycle; he has to revamp a Victorian fishing trawler so he can cook himself some fish and chips; and when he decides to mow the lawn, he restores a Victorian botanical garden. After all that, he's in need of a holiday--so he sets to work restoring a Victorian holiday resort. Illustrated throughout with specially commissioned photography as well as historical images, Guy will take us through each project, his passion, enthusiasm and sheer inventiveness bringing a completely new perspective to the Industrial Revolution. He invites us to live it with him, to enjoy the nostalgia, marvel in the mechanics, and learn from its legacy.