The 20th century was a time of extraordinary change as new technologies and new inventions emerged at a bewildering rate.
Our world was transformed beyond recognition, and so were our lives and our aspirations.
This book is an entertaining, informative and insightful look at the marvels of the 20th century.
Top Gear's James May and Phil Dolling explore the iconic themes of the century such as flight, space travel, television, mechanised war, medicine, video games, electronic music, skyscrapers, electronic espionage and much more.
But they also lead us down blind alleys to discover the hidden story behind why some inventions like the Zeppelin, the hovercraft or the Theremin struggled to make their mark.
They examine the tipping points - when technologies such as the car or the internet became unstoppable - and get up close by looking at the nuts and bolt of remarkable inventions.
Packed with surprising statistics and intriguing facts, this is the ideal book for anyone who wants to know how stuff works and why some stuff didn't make it.