Cyril J. Wood

2005

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A detailed history of the Manchester Ship Canal, lavishly illustrated from across the years.

I grew up alongside the canal, and there's plenty here I didn't know. It would have been better to have more depth in a lot of places, especially in terms of construction techniques and the history of some of the areas such as Old Quay docks in Runcorn and Dock Office in Manchester. (The latter had a mainframe computer for running the payroll, I remember.) It's a great reminder of the ways in which these huge industrial projects shaped the North-West, and I share the author's happiness that the canal system is gradually being restored and put back to work.

4/5. Finished 28 April 2019.

(Originally published on Goodreads.)