This is the very moving story of the people behind some of the most groundbreaking constructions of the industrial world.The music: Trailblazing by Steven Jablonsky it's on YouTube.If you're interested in industrial history and curious to how some of the early structures were ever built, then this is for you.The seven are: Brunel's Great Eastern Ship The Panama Canal The Hoover Dam The Brooklyn Bridge The Bell Rock Lighthouse London Sewer System The Trans-Continental Railway Each of the seven is played out as a sort of docu-drama. The acting is first rate and the attention to detail is faultless. The narration is by Robert Lindsay (GBH, My Family and Citizen Smith) and his timbre is spot-on.Of the seven episodes (all of which are great) the one I enjoyed most was the London Sewer System and Joseph Bazalgette's solution. The shear pigheadedness of the Water Board is astonishing; but here the episode played a great debt of homage to Dr Jon Snow. The physician who identified that the terrifying cholera outbreaks were being spread by the water and not miasma (toxic air) as what the government officials' had been spouting.

... but some episodes in the series also highlight the relationship between workers and bosses. As is still the case in unregulated environments, workers are nothing more than grist and they are of no more value than the bags of cement or rows of machinery. This can lead to horrific results and great resentment.Yes, these are all great accomplishments, but these are not all great men. For what kind of person send others to death without conscience?Viva la Revolucion! ;)Apparently I need ten lines of text before I can submit my comment. So here are the extra lines.

This series showed what truly inspired engineers (and their wives) can achieve. All episodes are essential viewing for anyone aspiring to be an engineer. Their imagination, courage, dedication and persistence should be an inspiration to us all.Each episode has amazing on-the-job footage. This footage is interfaced with expert and insightful documentary commentary, creatively supporting the exposition of the marvels being created.The historically accurate (seemingly) and seamlessly integrated acting provides for riveting viewing.A must see!

Another winner for the BBC. Writing excellent, production values high, good special effects. Thing that I got from the series was what these Engineers had in bucket loads was ambition. Not necessarily for there own fame and fortune (though if that came then so be it), but for the project. To build a sewage system for London, build the Panama Canal or build a Railway across America needed that ambition and drive. Every episode left me feeling humble; we have technology, which these engineers could have scarcely imagined. But somewhere along the line we have lost that ambition. To see what could be achieved with primitive technology, human toil, imagination and ambition makes me wonder what could be achieved today if we put our mind to it.I would recommend this to anybody has a passing interest or uses technology. Watch this and you will feel humble.