George Stephenson, born in 1781, is known as the "father of the railway", but here, the reader learns that he started his working life in a coal mine in North East England. He learned what he knew about the steam engines there. The narrative describes how he noticed that these used up an enormous amount of coal, which had to be brought via horse and cart or canal, then hit upon the idea of inventing a travelling engine that would run on rails. The book shows the reader how, in 1829, when "Rocket" won a trials competition on the Liverpool-Manchester railway, Stephenson's invention changed forever methods of haulage and travelling. Each title in this series tells the story of a man or woman whose dedication to their chosen cause led to changes that affect all our lives today. Each includes a vivid description of the world in which the famous person lived.

 

This book features in the following series: Famous People, Famous People, Famous Lives .

There are 48 pages in this book. This book was published 2002 by Hachette Children's Group .

Verna Allette Wilkins (Author) Verna Wilkins is the author of 30 picture books and biographies for young people. Her books have featured on National Curriculum and BBC children's television, and been chosen among the Children's Books of the Year. She was born in Grenada and lives in London. Lynne Willey (Illustrator) Karen King started her writing career with the teenage magazine Jackie and spent many years writing for various children's magazines and a variety of children's books. She has had over one hundred children's books published by a range of publishers. She was born in Birmingham and lives in the Midlands with her husband, dog and cat. She has four daughters who are now all grown up. She has absolutely no sense of direction and gets lost so often her family are scared to let her out on her own. The things she likes best are eating chocolate and reading, preferably both at the same time. Emma Fischel is an experienced writer and editor, specialising in both fiction and non-fiction for children