Many of the most famous engineers have been Englishmen. An outstanding example is Stephenson who built the first railway engine. St The war of 1939-1945 showed the English to be unchanged. During the war numerous things were invented, more than 3ooo of which were given to America by Britain So, throughout history, it is evident that the English are not a nation of philosophers, but that they believe very firmly in their own saying: 'Actions speak louder than words.