Toys Were Us A Twentieth-century History Of Toys And Toy-making

Takes the reader on a chronological & nostalgic journey through 20th-cent. Brit. toy mfg. Pre-WW1, Frank Hornby's system of ÔMechanics Made Easy' -- a tin box full of nuts, bolts & flexible strips of metal, had young boys attempting to build models of the Eiffel tower. In the 1920s, kids zoomed around in handcarts & scooters. The 1930s saw jigsaw puzzles & playing Escalado, Ôthe racecourse on a table'. The 1950s & 1960s saw battery-powered toys, street marbles, & Airfix kits. The 1970s belonged to Subbuteo, Mastermind, & Lego, & the 1980s to Space Invaders, Cabbage Patch Dolls & PlayStation 2. The present day is made up of Pokemon cards & media fueled crazes. A witty & irreverent cultural history with an eye for hidden, obscure detail. Illustrated.Whittaker, Nicholas is the author of 'Toys Were Us A Twentieth-century History Of Toys And Toy-making', published 2004 under ISBN 9780756778972 and ISBN 0756778972.