As all civil engineers will doubtless recall, 2006 saw the bicentenary of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, one of the greatest engineers Britain has ever known. Many special events took place, and books and articles were produced to mark the occasion, including a Briefing article in the May 2006 issue of this journal.1 One such book was published by Ian Allan—Brunel: An Engineering Biography, by Adrian Vaughan—which is reviewed elsewhere in this issue, but Ian Allan also simultaneously published the book reviewed here as a biography of the great man's father. The title is effectively a challenge to the reader to decide which of the two Brunels was the greater genius.
I should first declare a special interest in the works of Brunel Senior, having been Resident Engineer for London Underground in its refurbishment of the Thames Tunnel2 in the 1990s, the original construction of which is undoubtedly Marc's best-known achievement. However, it was disappointing to note that, during last year's celebrations of his son's accomplishments, the Thames Tunnel was often cited as one example, whereas in reality the younger Brunel's involvement with the project was somewhat fleeting (albeit rather dramatic, having narrowly escaped with his life following one of the irruptions of the tunnel during its construction).
While I was working on the Thames Tunnel refurbishment, I spent some time researching the background to its original construction, and learned something about the life of Marc Brunel as a consequence. However, having read this book, it is clear that my previous knowledge of him was, in reality, minuscule. Bagust has spent six years of research in writing this book, and what results is surely the most comprehensive memoir of the great man, and certainly the first major biography to be published for over 35 years.
Bagust traces Brunel's roots in revolutionary France, the country of his birth in 1769, and describes his early upbringing in Normandy. The deteriorating political situation in France led him to flee to the USA in 1793, where he stayed for six years, during which time he was appointed as Chief Engineer of New York. He returned to England and his future wife, Sophie Kingdom, in 1799, and Chapters 3–10 of the book then describe in great detail the multifarious projects he undertook prior to the Thames Tunnel, many of which are relatively unknown, and not confined to what we would today recognise as civil engineering. One of the appendices in the book reproduces all of the 15 patents filed by Brunel between 1799 and 1825, including such diverse activities as the manufacture of ships' blocks, saws and machinery for timber sawing, boot- and shoemaking, tinfoil manufacture and copying presses, as well as his most well-known Patent 4204 ‘Forming drifts and tunnels underground'.
It is perhaps true that every genius has a point of weakness, and if Brunel could be criticised at all, then it would probably be for his lack of financial acumen. Bagust acknowledges this, and Chapter 9 is devoted to Brunel's imprisonment in the King's Bench Debtors' Prison, Southwark, for three months in 1821, following the financial failure of some of his undertakings owing to poor commercial management.
The remaining chapters of the book then deal largely with the account of the Thames Tunnel project, in far greater detail than I had ever read before in my own investigations, again indicating the meticulous research that Bagust has undertaken in writing this book. The construction of the Thames Tunnel was a triumph over adversity, and Bagust rightly devotes a comprehensive six chapters to this project, prior to the closing epilogue. An extensive list of appendices follows. Perhaps these might be considered as too protracted for the casual reader, but the information they contain will contribute greatly to the knowledge of those who are keen to learn more about the background life of this fascinating individual.
Before I read this book, I thought I had a reasonable knowledge of Marc Brunel and his works, but I now have an even greater admiration of the man and his achievements. Bagust makes his assertion that Brunel Senior is the greater genius on the basis that Isambard Kingdom had a father who was supportive and encouraged his son to enter the engineering profession, whereas Marc had no such support—his own father had wanted him to enter the priesthood—so Marc was effectively ‘self-made'. How one measures genius is subjective, and it is even more difficult when we are considering two of the most prominent engineers of the post-Industrial Revolution era. However, although I might be considered as slightly biased, having been closely involved in one of his projects, after reading this book I think I am inclined to agree with Bagust.
