The book tells the remarkable story of the groups of people who were responsible for building Britain’s canal system. Industrialists like Josiah Wedgwood promoted canals to help their own industry, while speculators financed the projects in the hope of a good return. The work was planned by famous engineers like James Brindley and Thomas Telford, as well as lesser-known but equally talented ones. It’s also the story of the anonymous army of men who actually did the work – the navvies.This book was the first to study the lives of these labourers in detail. It’s an epic story of how the transport route that made the industrial revolution possible was created. built.
