Throughout history, the use and workmanship of metal has been closely associated with the very notion of civilization. Never was this connection more apparent than during the Metallurgic Age, which coincided with England's Victorian era and the Gilded Age in America. This era, covering essentially the 19th century, saw unprecedented advances as a passion for technology and learning fueled a period of discovery and of practical application of the sciences.

This work explores in depth the connection between Victorian creativity and the advance of engineering. It examines this age of accelerated invention and the evolution of new fields such as metallurgy, automotive engineering, aerodynamics and industrial arts. Numerous unsung inventors--many of whom lost one or more of the frequent patent battles that peppered the era--are remembered here along with the concept of the meta-invention. The result is a revealing look at how metallurgy permeated all areas of Victorian life and affected changes from the kitchen to the battlefield.