Ten Transport Pioneers Who Changed the World

Ten Transport Pioneers Who Changed the World explores ten defining moments in the history of transport, spanning five centuries – from the age of sailing ships to the dawn of the modern jetliner. Its cast of innovators range from Cornish mining pioneer Richard Trevithick to the French nobleman Marquis Jouffroy d’Abbans, who each played a part in reshaping how we travel.

Across land, sea and sky, their breakthroughs charted leaps in development that created lasting change: aqueducts and flights of locks that revolutionised inland waterways; paddle steamers and iron-hulled ships that redefined maritime power; the hot-air balloon and the jet engine that conquered the air; and the internal combustion engine and first electric locomotive that propelled transport forward.

These are stories of bold ideas and those who conceived them – pioneers who challenged convention and pushed the boundaries of what seemed possible.