It is easy to see bicycles as commonplace machines, but at the end of the nineteenth-century there was no other piece of technology which attracted the same level of excitement, discussion or controversy. Significant societal shifts followed the invention of the modern bicycle and with cycling's ever-increasing popularity there has never been a better time to tell this story.

Revolution delves into the social history of cycling in 1890s Britain while exploring international parallels that existed in countries such as the US, France and Australia. Drawing on a range of sources from cycling club journals to the writings of H.G. Wells, the book illuminates the major impact the bicycle had on the day-to-day lives of people across the social spectrum with millions experiencing a cheap and personalised means of transport for the first time. Particularly for women it was known as the great emancipator from crib, kitchen and convention. Affordable to the working class, cycling dramatically increased the number of potential marriage partners, bridging the gaps between villages, to the extent that leading biologist Steve Jones has ranked the invention of the bicycle as the most important event in recent human evolution.

From cycling as a source of fashion and socialising in sporting clubs, to travel around the British countryside, to its importance for widening the gene pool and its role in the women's liberation movement Revolution presents the bicycle as a marvel of modern technology that transformed Britain and the world over.

The untold story of the cycling revolution that transformed modern Britain and the world

About the Author

William Manners is a keen cyclist who completed his graduate studies in History at University of York, specialising in late Victorian cycling. He grew up in the Somerset Levels regularly cycling to school and work. He has written articles about cycling for the Guardian and currently lives in Yorkshire where he blogs about the history of cycling: www.thevictoriancyclist.wordpress.com

Reviews

'For anyone interested in the history of bicycling, this is the book' Telegraph

'Superb' The Herald

'Tells a wonderful tale from the Victorian invention through to modern Britain... impressive to make such a complicated history so concise and accessible to a wide readership' Mark Ian Macleod Beaumont, record-breaking long-distance British cyclist and author of the bestselling The Man who Cycled the World

'Well written, researched, and balanced, Revolution carefully documents early cycling and gives us a window into a world that's influenced every one of us who cycles today' Dave Barter, author of Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder

'Fascinating... an impressive, compelling social history of the bicycle... probably the definitive work available on the subject' Richard Peploe, Road.CC

'Extremely well-researched... a must-read for anyone interested in the history and development of the bicycle' Anna Hughes, author of Eat, Sleep, Cycle and Pedal Power

'A heart-warming, often humorous depiction of the development of the bicycle and its role in nurturing human relationships sporting, social, professional and romantic... touches the lives of cycling enthusiasts through the ages' Maria Leijerstam, first person to cycle to the South Pole and author of Cycling to the South Pole: A World First

'Manners takes us on a wild ride through cycling history in this richly researched, intelligent and beautifully written book' Dr Sheila Hanlon, Cycling UK

'One of the great things about Revolution is how William Manners shines a light on the fact that not only does the bicycle have the potential to change the world, it has actually been doing so since its earliest beginnings. A great read' Prof. Simon Jobson, Professor of Sport & Exercise Physiology, and co-author of Ultra-Distance Cycling: An Expert Guide to Endurance Cycling

Book Information
ISBN 9780715653333
Author William Manners
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Duckworth
Publisher Duckworth Books