Robert Uhlig Books

This compelling journey through the history of invention, under the guidance of inventor and manufacturer extraordinaire James Dyson, reveals the myriad stories of inventions and inventors that have shaped civilisation. Packed with colour illustrations, the book examines a host of lesser known as well as more famous discoveries, ranging from early Persian ice cream to the invention of the microchip and the extraordinary advances in animal cloning. Discover how: * Roman dentists developed rope-powered drills * Women's corsets led to the invention of the modern umbrella * The hovercraft emerged from an empty cat-food tin * And how the internet really came about With unique insights into the processes of invention and additional expert contributions, Dyson's History of Great Inventions is certain to fascinate and inspire in equal measure.

In this highly entertaining book, fellow film actors and bike enthusiasts Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman travel 20,000 miles around the world by motorbike. They will encounter many troublesome situations on the way, ranging from extreme and threatening weather to impenetrable terrain, and will face challenges such as caviar fishing in the Caspian sea, wrestling with the Mongolian Olympic team and riding with the Canadian Mounties. Whilst throwing themselves enthusiastically into the culture of each new country - from Alaska to Mongolia, from Canada to Kazakhstan - the two friends will also have to rely on each other's good humour, as the journey tests their relationship and their stamina to the limits. Long Way Round is the action-packed account of the trip and a true portrait of friendship in extremis - as irreverent, engaging and articulate as Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman themselves.

It started as a daydream. Poring over a map of the world at home one quiet Saturday afternoon, Ewan McGregor -- acclaimed actor and self-confessed bike nut -- noticed that it was possible to ride all the way round the world, with just one short hop across the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska. It was a revelation he couldn't get out of his head. So he picked up the phone and called his fellow actor-slash-biker friend Charley Boorman and told him it was time to hit the road....Long Way RoundBeginning in London, Ewan and Charley chased their shadows through Europe, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia; across the Pacific to Alaska; then down through Canada all the way to New York. Long Way Round is the result of their four-month, 20,000-mile joyride. Featuring original diary entries, travel maps, mileage charts, and dozens of photographs, this is a freewheeling, fully charged, and uproariously entertaining book about two world-famous individuals who chose the road not taken...and made the journey worthwhile.