Industry - Rupert Matthews

This book belongs to a series which covers a wide variety of subjects, follows their progresssion and development during the twentieth century. Each book consists of a lively, thought-provoking text, accompanied by many pictures.;This textbook describes the development and impact of industry during the twentieth century, from the traditional industries of the post-Victorian era, through two world wars to the computer age of the present day.;The author begins by explaining what is meant by industry, and how it was dominated at the turn of the century by the staple industries of Britain, France, Germany and the USA. The first decade saw the development by Henry Ford of the production line and cheap cars for the masses. Then came World War I, when engineering factories were converted to making guns and ammunition. A chapter follows describing industry in the short, postwar boom and in the long depression that followed. The twenties and thirties saw the development of the consumer industry, based on electricity, radio and synthetic materials.;World War II brought about great technological advances which were to provide the basis for a new surge in industrial growth in the years between 1950 and 1970, sustained by consumer demand. Symbols of this period were the manmade fibres, the plastic goods, the transistor and its products, and the labour-saving devices, epitomised by Harold Macmillan when he said "You've never had it so good". This period was soon to be interrupted by the Oil Crisis and all its attendant problems, but meanwhile the developments that led to the present computer age were underway. The author also covers the effects on our lives of silicon chip technology. He has written several books including titles in the "Great Disasters" and "Myths and Legends" series.