The Quest for Power
Encyclopedia
The Quest for Power is book on the history of engineering
written by Hugh Pembroke Vowles
and Margaret Winifred Vowles
. It was published in 1931 by Chapman and Hall
of London
, England
.
. The book is divided into three parts. The first is "The apprenticeship of toil", which deals with stone tools, early use of metal, control of water, early structural achievements, transport and measurement. The second is "The age of Power". This deals with steam power, internal combustion engines and electrical power. Finally, the third part is entitled "The materials of power". This looks at coal, oil, alcohol, metals and other products. The last section deals with the future.
, inventor of the vacuum cleaner
. The dedication reads: "In friendship's name to Hubert Cecil Booth, F.C.G.I., M. Inst. C.E. who by the invention and subsequent development of the vacuum cleaner has created a new industry, lightened the burden of human toil, and increased the health and happiness of innumberable homes".
"Eighty British, American and European journals - representative of all that is best in the periodical literature of Science, Engineering, Arts and Industry, besides literary "weeklies" and the daily press - have devoted over five hundreed single column inches of their space to reviews of The Quest for Power. A fewtypical comments are quoted overleaf"
"The book will clearly be of great permanent value as a work of reference, all the more because of its full citation of sources... a notable addition to any engineer's library. Sir Alfred Ewing K.C.B. D.Sc. F.R.S. (President Elect, British Association for the Advancement of Science 1932)
"A remarkable work". Journal of the Royal Society of Arts.
"The book is an admirable result of the combined work of an engineer and a historian ". Nature, March 12th 1932.
"We hope every engineer will spare thetime to read this book". Engineer, October 16th 1931
"It is inspired". Electrical Industries. November 25th 1931.
"It is exhilarating; it is so broad in its sweep that we have marvelled both at the courage of the authors and at their vision". Power Engineer, March 1932.
"No mere summary of contents can possibly convey the full merit of this book; its balance, perspective and sustained interest". Power (New York} January 12 1932.
"An epic story of man's triumph over difficulty". Electrical Power Engineer, 1931.
"There runs all through the book the golden thread of romance and adventure, of struggle and achievement". Austin Magazine, 1932.
"Auch vielen deutschen Ingenieuren wird diser Uberblick sehr willkommen sein". Zeitschrift des Vereines Deutscher Ingenieure (Dr Conrad Matchoss). March 19 1932.
"The book deserves to become a standard work for the general educated reader, especially for arts mentaking a degree in history, for students in technical colleges and schools". Manchester Guardian, April 7th 1932.
"This clear, careful, comprehensive work". News Chronicle (W.R. Gordon), September 2nd 1931.
"One of the most exciting stories in the world... splendidly illustrated". Daily Herald, (Roger Pippett), December 17th, 1931.
"Useful and trustworthy... the authors show a wide knowledge of the subject". Spectator
, September 26th 1931.
"Gives the layman admirable lucid accounts of the major machines and processes which have given modern man such colossal power". New Statesman and Nation. February 20th 1932.
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
written by Hugh Pembroke Vowles
Hugh Pembroke Vowles
Hugh Pembroke Vowles was a British engineer, socialist and author.- Early life and education :...
and Margaret Winifred Vowles
Margaret Winifred Vowles
Margaret Winifred Vowles was an English author on science.-Parentage:...
. It was published in 1931 by Chapman and Hall
Chapman and Hall
Chapman & Hall was a British publishing house in London, founded in the first half of the 19th century by Edward Chapman and William Hall. Upon Hall's death in 1847, Chapman's cousin Frederic Chapman became partner in the company, of which he became sole manager upon the retirement of Edward...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Content
The book contains over 150 illustrations and has 370 pages. It begins with a picture of Michael FaradayMichael Faraday
Michael Faraday, FRS was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
. The book is divided into three parts. The first is "The apprenticeship of toil", which deals with stone tools, early use of metal, control of water, early structural achievements, transport and measurement. The second is "The age of Power". This deals with steam power, internal combustion engines and electrical power. Finally, the third part is entitled "The materials of power". This looks at coal, oil, alcohol, metals and other products. The last section deals with the future.
Dedication
The Quest for Power is dedicated to Hubert Cecil BoothHubert Cecil Booth
Hubert Cecil Booth was a British engineer who invented the first powered vacuum cleaner.He also designed Ferris wheels, suspension bridges and factories. Later he became Chairman and Managing Director of the British Vacuum Cleaner and Engineering Co.-Early life:Booth was born in Gloucester, England...
, inventor of the vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
. The dedication reads: "In friendship's name to Hubert Cecil Booth, F.C.G.I., M. Inst. C.E. who by the invention and subsequent development of the vacuum cleaner has created a new industry, lightened the burden of human toil, and increased the health and happiness of innumberable homes".
Reception
The flier advertising the book contained the following quotation:"Eighty British, American and European journals - representative of all that is best in the periodical literature of Science, Engineering, Arts and Industry, besides literary "weeklies" and the daily press - have devoted over five hundreed single column inches of their space to reviews of The Quest for Power. A fewtypical comments are quoted overleaf"
Press opinions from Scientific, Engineering and Industrial Journals
"No other book in the English language gives so satisfactory an account of engineering progress through the ages". Engineer Index of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers."The book will clearly be of great permanent value as a work of reference, all the more because of its full citation of sources... a notable addition to any engineer's library. Sir Alfred Ewing K.C.B. D.Sc. F.R.S. (President Elect, British Association for the Advancement of Science 1932)
"A remarkable work". Journal of the Royal Society of Arts.
"The book is an admirable result of the combined work of an engineer and a historian ". Nature, March 12th 1932.
"We hope every engineer will spare thetime to read this book". Engineer, October 16th 1931
"It is inspired". Electrical Industries. November 25th 1931.
"It is exhilarating; it is so broad in its sweep that we have marvelled both at the courage of the authors and at their vision". Power Engineer, March 1932.
"No mere summary of contents can possibly convey the full merit of this book; its balance, perspective and sustained interest". Power (New York} January 12 1932.
"An epic story of man's triumph over difficulty". Electrical Power Engineer, 1931.
"There runs all through the book the golden thread of romance and adventure, of struggle and achievement". Austin Magazine, 1932.
"Auch vielen deutschen Ingenieuren wird diser Uberblick sehr willkommen sein". Zeitschrift des Vereines Deutscher Ingenieure (Dr Conrad Matchoss). March 19 1932.
Press opinions from Newspapers and Literary Journals
"A miracle of consisement and comprehensiveness combined" Morning Post (E.B.Osborn) September 4th 1931"The book deserves to become a standard work for the general educated reader, especially for arts mentaking a degree in history, for students in technical colleges and schools". Manchester Guardian, April 7th 1932.
"This clear, careful, comprehensive work". News Chronicle (W.R. Gordon), September 2nd 1931.
"One of the most exciting stories in the world... splendidly illustrated". Daily Herald, (Roger Pippett), December 17th, 1931.
"Useful and trustworthy... the authors show a wide knowledge of the subject". Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, September 26th 1931.
"Gives the layman admirable lucid accounts of the major machines and processes which have given modern man such colossal power". New Statesman and Nation. February 20th 1932.