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The Lunar Men: The Inventors of the Modern World 1730-1810
 
 
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The Lunar Men: The Inventors of the Modern World 1730-1810 [Kindle Edition]

Jenny Uglow (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews) |
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The Lunar Society of Birmingham was formed in the 1760s, and included (among others) Matthew Boulton and his partner James Watt (of steam engine fame), the potter Josiah Wedgwood, Erasmus Darwin, theorist of evolution and ancestor of Charles Darwin. Later came Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen. They formed the Lunar Society (so-called because it met at each full moon) to talk, swap discoveries and plan their great idea. Jenny Uglow, described by Michael Holroyd as one of the most talented of contemporary biographers, has written a fascinating and vivid account of these famous men and their friendships, love of knowledge and power. It is a splendid look at 'The Friends who Made the Future' between 1730 and 1810, and deserves to be very successful.

Literary Review, 1 September 2002

An astonishing feat of research, inquiry and fact-collecting. It is also a superbly original idea ... a considerable historical achievement.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 87 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A truly fascinating book, describing the 'club' formed by five amatuer experimenters from the Midlands in the 1760's. But not any experimenters: James Watt; Josiah Wedgewood; Joseph Priestley; Matthew Boulton; Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles Darwin. Each of these men is famous and all have had biographies written, but this book about the Lunar Society of Birmingham shows their passions and interests vividly. What a fascinating illustration of early modern history and the power of young and optimistic men to create ideas that actually did change the world around them.

The book has much detailed research presented with transparent enthusiasm for the subject. If you bear with the detail, the underlying story is a gem. Oh, and now I know what a 'lunatic' really is!

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Over the years, I've bought several copies of this book to give to my friends. Jenny Uglow, puts real flesh on what could be a very stale book. The group of intellectual and business giants who made up this group of friends were incredibly influencial at the start of the Industrial revolution.It would have been easy to fill the book with just the inventions and breakthroughs that this group made.

But what captures you is the shear warmt and respect these men had for each other. The shear curiosity and cross interests they shared is in stark contrast to many of the business and political leaders we see today who are so goal focused they are incapable of any lateral thinking. They solved a great many problems, even if the valiant efforts of at least one member to find the perfect wife did end in failure.

If you want to understand how human intellects working together can tackle immense projects this is a good place to start. In modern parlance this group would be called a Scenius, but this is too utilitarian of a concept. Jenny Uglow paints a picture of a group I would seriously like to have gone drinking with.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By RariB
Format:Paperback
This book is researched in great detail , full of desriptions of the science in the 18th century in a compelling and entertaining way. The individuals who made up the group came from different backgrounds and industries but were all brilliant thinkers and amateur experimenters and met to exchange ideas and discuss their current experiments. The amazing thing is that they all knew each other, bounced their ideas off each other and were in effect an 18th century think tank.Lunar Men because they met once a month at the full moon when it was safest to go a distance in their carriages and they cound find their way home. Some of the family ramifications can get a bit obscure the Darwins, the Wedgewoods, the Boultons etc but it is all part of the amazing story.
Strongly recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of science and you don't need to be a scientist to enjoy it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a colourful depiction of a group of inventors
The Lunar Man achieves an enjoyable balance between giving historical insights and providing a vivid description of this important time for technological and cultural development... Read more
Published 6 months ago by MK
The British Enlightenment
There are truly excellent reviews for the book and the sole incentive for the review is to point that Jenny's Uglow book 'Lunar Men' is an excellent example of 'British... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Serghiou Const
evocative
This is really a book to read more than once.Jenny Uglow is trying to gather a web of details into one basket. Read more
Published 15 months ago by S. Moore
An Absolute Delight to Read
This is a truly excellent and invigorating book to read and well deserves the James Tait Black Biography Prize awarded in 2002. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Dr. R. Brandon
Lunar Men
This book was excellent. It is packed with very interesting facts and is absolutely fascinating, especially for a Brummie which I am not ashamed to be
Published on 17 May 2010 by J. P. Hayes
Lunar men
Lunar men reads like a novel but was packed with interesting information.Every chapter threw up more interesting facts and connections about this time and area.A fascinating read.
Published on 28 Dec 2009 by Dave Jackson
A bit more pruning required
This is a fascinating book, full of interesting 'oh, I never knew that' type of facts. But sometimes overfull, veering into 'I never wanted/needed to know that'. Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2009 by Mopy
Lunar Men: The Friends Who Made the Future by Jenny Uglow
After reading Jenny Uglow's book on Thomas Bewick,which I could not put down! I find this book a little too detailed,but at the same time an interesting account of the times. Read more
Published on 17 July 2009 by Philip S. Woodford
Lunar Men - a really good read!
The subject could be a bit dry but Jenny Uglow brings these extraordinary people alive and draws in so many strands of domestic life, science, politics etc that this makes a... Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2009 by Irayna
reading a time in history
BEING A EDGEWORTH BY BIRTH TO BE ABLE TO READ ABOUT A DIRECT GRANDFATHER WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND I THINK JENNY DID A GREAT JOB GETTING INTO THE MINDS OF HER LIST OF LUNAR CLUB... Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2007 by GRYPHON
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In two generations, roughly from 1730 to 1800, the country changed from a mainly agricultural nation into an emerging industrial force. &quote;
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