Canals: The Making of a Nation: A Journey Into the Heart of Industrial Britain

by Liz McIvor

Canals hold a unique place in British culture, with associations of lazy summer afternoons, journeying through lush green countryside. But as Liz McIvor explains in the book to accompany her BBC series, the story of our canals is also the story of how modern Britain was born. It was the canals that helped open up the trade of the Industrial Revolution, furthered the new science of geology, and even ushered in a new form of architecture. The legacy of our canals is all around us.In The Making of a Nation, McIvor takes us on a journey across the network of English canals to tell a deeper story of how our waterways changed our lives. It’s a very modern tale, full of high finance and greedy investors, cheap labour and the struggle for workers’ rights, and new frontiers in family and child welfare. It’s a unique and compelling exploration of Britain’s golden age.

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2015

Reviews

[Barrie Bromley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The development of the British canal network in the 18th and 19th centuries accompanied the burgeoning Industrial Revolution and, in all probability made it possible. Canals allowed goods and materials to be transported in large quantities to their markets, virtually nationwide. Prior to that, large quantities could really only be transported by river and by definition rivers are not interconnected and restricted to towns and cities on the river. The alternative was to transport goods to the nearest port and move them by sea. Then, just as today the main market was London,, the city with the largest population.

This book which, accompanied a TV documentaries covers a range of issues associated with the development of canals.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't really have much canal knowledge going into this. My dad used to take us along the canals all the time when we were younger because he'd always loved and had interest in them. He passed away last year and this was one of his books so I thought I'd give it a read to feel closer to him and also broaden my knowledge. I was worried I'd find it boring but I actually found it to be really interesting. We have so many canals across the country that are these days used primarily for leisure, to learn all the unique reasons and stories behind their construction is fascinating. I loved that there were a good amount of pictures included as well so you could see certain bridges etc that were mentioned - nice to have the visuals and saved me going to Google a few times! All in all a great and informative read.