Toy of the Year; Toy of the Century; Greatest Toy of All Time... there aren't many titles that haven't been bestowed on LEGO toys, and it's not hard to see why. From its inception in the early 1930s right up until today the LEGO Group's history is as colourful as the toys it makes. Few other playthings share the LEGO brand's creative spirit, educative benefits, resilience, quality and universal appeal. The LEGO name is now synonymous with play time, but it wasn't always so. This history charts the birth of the LEGO Group from the workshop of a Danish carpenter and its steady growth as a small, family-run toy manufacturer to its current position as a market-leading, award-winning brand. The company's growing catalogue of products including the earliest wooden toys, plastic bricks, play themes and other building systems such as DUPLO, Technic and MINDSTORMS are chronicled in detail, alongside the manufacturing process, LEGOLAND parks, licensed toys and computer games. Learn all about how LEGO pulled itself out of an economic crisis and embraced technology to make building blocks relevant to 21st-Century children and discover the vibrant fan community of kids and adults whose conventions, websites and artwork keep the LEGO spirit alive. As nostalgic as it is contemporary Building a History will have you reminiscing about old Classic Space sets, rummaging through the attic for forgotten minifigure friends and playing with whatever LEGO bricks you can get your hands on (even if it means sharing with your kids). AUTHOR: Sarah Herman is the daughter of a naval man and has lilved around the world and the UK. She is a journalist and editor and has written for the official magazines for TV shows including Lost, Heroes and Torchwood. She is the author of several Summersdale titles.