The Canal Builders

Just over 250 years ago, the Industrial Revolution saw the growth of the town, altered trade patterns, and led to the first proper transport system in Britain. From the first river navigations to the building of some of the most impressive canals, Anthony Burton looks at the men who made Britain great—those first pioneers of the industrial age. Without the new canals it is unlikely that Britain would have become industrialised just so quickly and a few men like Thomas Telford, William Jessop, and James Brindley were responsible for most of the first canals. First published in 1969, this revised edition is the definitive history of Britain's canals and the men who made them.