James May's 20th Century
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James May's 20th Century
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Narrated by:
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James May
About this listen
How much should you pay for a return trip to the moon? How are Winnie the Pooh and the artificial heart related? Did teenagers exist before 1950? If not, who invented them? James May's 20th Century answers all these questions and more.
In this exclusive download released to tie-in with the BBC TV series, James May explores the iconic themes of the century: flight, space travel, television, mechanised war, medicine, computers, electronic music, skyscrapers, electronic espionage, and much more.
But he also reveals the hidden story behind why some inventions like the Zeppelin, the motorcycle side car, or the Theremin struggled to make their mark. He examines the tipping points � when technologies such as the car or the internet became unstoppable � and gets 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.
©2007 James May and Phil Dolling (P)2007 Hodder and Stoughton AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about James May's 20th Century
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- michael d porteous
- 17-03-17
Great
I find James may very easy to listen to, great book, well read, 5 stars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paulina M Garbowska
- 03-09-23
Easy to listen and interesting
Very easy to listen to, James May is a great narrator, and the book is really interesting. Full of facts and stories about 20th-century inventions and development. Loved it, and I definitely recommend it. I'm looking forward to purchasing more of his books.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Anabella
- 20-03-09
An Enjoyable & Informative Listen
This is a very good audiobook that requires no knowledge of the accompanying TV series or indeed any enthusiasm for motors ! James May is very engaging as a reader and his enthusiam comes through clearly. I was expecting a Top Gear approach to things but instead this book takes you on a fascinating tour of the 20th Century through vehicles, technology and human ingenuity and is full of little known facts. I found myself lost in this book quite a few times and have listened to more than once. Great value & well recommended !
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 08-10-19
really really enjoyed it.
My kinda thinking. Ended up walking the dog a lot further each time I put it on. More please James.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Captain Toad
- 10-06-21
Not a bad light listen
Rather enjoyed that. As a fan of james may I thought it would be interesting , and so I was pleasantly surprised. Not an especially long book and perhaps just a list of facts , it’s worth a listen never the less.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mael Dujardin
- 12-04-18
very nice
informative and easy to listen to. if anything, I wish it had been longer. still very good.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Cliente de Amazon
- 03-01-19
Good book from captain "Slow"
James May disconnects from his role on the show with the Orangutan and Hammond, it is a light story, well put and easy for understanding narrating what James considers were the breakthrough inventions or changes which happened during the 20th century, you may agree or not with what he considers the best things of this time, but you will learn a thing or two on things that are taken for granted nowadays, which you didn't know and which in so many cases are base of our current world.
James narrates brilliantly, the story though, I believe it starts at a great pace, but it slows down as the book goes. would recommend it anyway.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mr Luke Edwards
- 01-12-15
good for a credit.
Not as good as his others but still an entertaining listen.
As others have said, lots of interesting facts and a good companion to the tv series.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nick Gear
- 15-07-13
some thing to listen to again and again
What did you like most about James May's 20th Century?
that he read it himself
What did you like best about this story?
all of it
Which character – as performed by James May – was your favourite?
there are no characters as its a factual book
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
concorde
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anthony
- 19-09-22
Didn’t want it to end , ever.
Born in 1969 I’ve witnessed first hand a small proportion of the content of James May’s examination of the last century, but never until now viewed it from the stance , and with the relevance to where we are today as a result
James’s narration is quite beguiling, and he successfully shrug’s off the label offered to him by his two friends and colleagues of being boring , or indeed slow. A better listen than read I suspect due to the familiar tone and presentation of a very interesting and intelligent man.
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