Book recommendation?

[G4YVM]

Having read Rolt's book (rather flowery, opinionated twaddle IMHO), and Just finished The Canal Builders. (Very nice book, well written interesting content.)

 

 

But what next? Anyone care to recommend a book on canals? Their building or use, history or otherwise.

 

 

David

[Split Pin]

Anderton for Orders. Tom Foxon.

Bread upon the Waters. David Blagrove

Lost Canals and Waterways of Britian. Ronald Russell

All non fiction.

 

They happen to be on the shelf beside me.

 

Steve (G0ASK)

[matty40s]

Lost Canals and Waterways of Britian. Ronald Russell

 

The interesting thing about this book is that it is so out of date.

There are quite a few canals talked about in a very past tense which are now open or heading that way slowly again.

Rochdale, Huddersfield Narrow,Chesterfield,Wilts & Berks, Droitwich and quite a few others.

[G4YVM]

Thank you.

 

I should have mentioned, no fiction!

 

Off to Amazon one click!

 

D

[dave moore]

Hi

 

Having put this post in the history section, you may also enjoy accounts of carrying by the wartime women who crewed working boats during WW2. Among them are

 

Amateur Boatwomen by Eily Gayford

 

Troubled Waters by Margaret Cornish

 

Maiden's Trip by Emma Smith

 

Idle Women by Susan Woolfit

 

Hold on a Minute is by Tim Wilkinson and chronicles his time on the boats at the back end of the 40s.

 

If you're factually inclined, Rolt's Inland Waterways of England is worth a look, while Ramlin Rose by Sheila Stewart is a fictional account of a working boat family life, very well observed - she spent much time talking to real boaters in preparation for the novel.

 

Hope these help.

 

Dave

[G4YVM]

Thanks Dave. I'll have a look. I also wod like to read something else that chronicles the building of the cuts. Not for history A level or something serious like that, just out of interest.

 

David

[aunty doris]

Having read Rolt's book (rather flowery, opinionated twaddle IMHO), and Just finished The Canal Builders. (Very nice book, well written interesting content.)

 

 

But what next? Anyone care to recommend a book on canals? Their building or use, history or otherwise.

 

 

David

if you want to read a brilliant history of one canal then get a copy of the reverend alan white history of the worcs and birminham canal ,its the most informative and enjoyable book on canals ive read ,he took 30 years to write it and it has info on all aspects of the cut and life on and around it ,

[Laurence Hogg]

"Know your waterways" by Robert Aickman, well out of date can be picked up cheap but has so much relevent info.

[Québec]

There are a number of old canal related non-fiction books mentioned in this thread from a while back. All the books are free and can be read either online or downloaded: My link

[keble]

"Disasters on the Severn" by Chris Witts is fascinating. My link

[BEngo]

Having read Rolt's book (rather flowery, opinionated twaddle IMHO), and Just finished The Canal Builders. (Very nice book, well written interesting content.)

 

 

But what next? Anyone care to recommend a book on canals? Their building or use, history or otherwise.

 

 

David

 

 

Tales of the Old Inland Waterways- Euan Corrie

The Grand Junction Canal- Faulkner

Working Life on Severn and Canal- Hugh Conway-Jones

John Knill's Navy- John Knill

Canals of England- Eric de Mare

 

 

Rolt's three volume autobiography Landscape with: ..Machines, ..Canals, ..Figures

 

Any of his biographies of the Engineers- the Brunel one was the authoritative biography for many years.

 

N

Edited April 6, 2012 by BEngo

[Derek R.]

Thanks Dave. I'll have a look. I also wod like to read something else that chronicles the building of the cuts. Not for history A level or something serious like that, just out of interest.

 

David

 

D.D. Gladwin; 'The Canals of Britain' ISBN 0-7134-0492-2 & 'An Illustrated History of British Waterways' (not the company) ISBN 0-904978-28-1 From conception through to the age of the 'Cruiseway'.

[Tim Lewis]

Journeys Of The Swan by John Liley - excellent account of boating in the 1960's

 

Tim

[jeannette smith harrison]

D.D. Gladwin; 'The Canals of Britain' ISBN 0-7134-0492-2 & 'An Illustrated History of British Waterways' (not the company) ISBN 0-904978-28-1 From conception through to the age of the 'Cruiseway'.

 

David Gladwin 'Building Britain's Canals' ISBN 0-947731-47-4

This illustrated book explains how Britain's Canals where built.

Have myself just read Alan Faulkner's Willow Wren The story of a Canal Carrying Company

Jeannette