The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain has often been depicted as a triumph of empiricism, of illiterate practical craftsmen without any kind of scientific training. This traditional view has been seriously challenged by A.E.Musson and Eric Robinson. The authors’ main concern is with the early development of the engineering and chemical industries, but they also refer to many others. In addition, they detail the agencies that were available for the diffusion of science and technology - philosophical societies, itinerant lecturers, books and periodicals, etc. Many of the leading figures of the Industrial Revolution appear in these pages, with new insights into their achievements.