Description: The Engines of Empire explores the complex relationship between Victorians and their greatest invention: the steamship.
Review Quotes: "Douglas R. Burgess Jr.'s Engines of Empire: Steamships and the Victorian Imagination excavates the complex relationship between Victorians--not only in Britain, but also in the U.S. and Germany--and their steamships. Drawing on the observations of famous travelers such as Charles Dickens, Jules Verne, and Mark Twain, as well as ordinary voyagers, both male and female, Burgess explores the many and varied meanings of steamships and steamship travel for 'spectators, ' 'tourists, ' and 'imperials.'"--Jeffrey Auerbach, The American Historical Review