Who invented the flying machine? Was the Titanic really the first `unsinkable' ship? How would one use a phonoscope?

Using old Victorian documents, Caroline Rochford takes the reader on a guided tour of hundreds of fascinating nineteenth-century inventions from across the globe, some strange and some remarkably familiar.

Think solar power is a modern concept? Think again! Today everyone has a camera, but imagine the excitement of taking a snap of a giraffe hotel! This is a surprising journey, taking the reader on a trip from the clouds to the bottom of the ocean, with stops everywhere in between. Discover the use of whispering machines, crime-fighting streetlamps and over 200 other remarkable Victorian inventions.