Brunel the Great Engineer

by Sally Hewitt

Published 24 June 2004

Ways into History: Houses and Homes looks at the life and achievements of the great Victorian engineer and architect, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It also explores his powerful legacy. Several of his main engineering achievements are examined through photographs, drawings and other historical objects, including the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Thames Tunnel and the incredible influence he had on the railways, travel by ship and even the Crimean War. A simple timeline helps readers see the span of his achievements over time.

In the Ways into History series, original illustrations and simple text bring the past alive, while questions and activities encourage historical research and build up confidence and enthusiasm for British history at Key stage 1. For children aged 5+.
Teaching and literacy notes are included to help parents and teachers use the book in a classroom setting and for home learning.


Helps children develop basic skills of a historian and build up confidence and enthusiasm. Ages 5-7.

Ways into History: Florence Nightingale tells the story of the famous nurse and her battle to make nursing a respected profession. It also looks at why we remember Florence Nightingale today. It includes a timeline of key events, buildings and inventions that changed holidays over the years at the back of the book.

In the Ways into History series, original illustrations and simple text bring the past alive, while questions and activities encourage historical research and build up confidence and enthusiasm. The series encourages Key Stage 1 readers aged 5+ to begin to think like a historian and look for clues in descriptions and pictures that will help them answer questions about the past. The books include 'Talk About' sections that encourage readers to describe events or what people might have thought or felt at the time. Teaching and literacy notes help teachers and parents get the most out of the curriculum links in these books in a classroom or at home.


Exploring the variety of toys and games that children have played with over the last 100 years, this title encourages readers to make comparisons between today's toys and those of the past, focusing on elements such as what they were made of, how they were made, who they may have belonged to and why they were popular.

Exploring the life of the famous nurse, Florence Nightingale, from her childhood through to her final years, this text encourages readers to discuss the unusual decisions which Florence made as a young woman, and how these led her to provide care during the Crimean War.

Ways into History: The Great Fire of London looks at what happened that fateful night in 1666 and how it gave birth to a brand new London. It includes a timeline of the main events of the fire and restoration at the back of the book.

In the Ways into History series, original illustrations and simple text bring the past alive, while questions and activities encourage historical research and build up confidence and enthusiasm. The series encourages Key Stage 1 readers aged 5+ to begin to think like a historian and look for clues in descriptions and pictures that will help them answer questions about the past. The books include 'Talk About' sections that encourage readers to describe events or what people might have thought or felt at the time. Teaching and literacy notes help teachers and parents get the most out of the curriculum links in these books in a classroom or at home.