Anyone interested in the real London needs to read this. - Andrew Marr
No city can survive without water, and lots of it. Today we take the stuff for granted: turn a tap and it gushes out. But it wasn't always so. For centuries London, one of the largest and richest cities in the world, struggled to supply its citizens with reliable, clean water. The Mercenary River tells the story of that struggle from the middle ages to the present day.
Based on new research, it tells a tale of remarkable technological, scientific and organisational breakthroughs; but also a story of greed and complacency, high finance and low politics. Among the breakthroughs was the picturesque New River, neither new nor a river but a state of the art aqueduct completed in 1613 and still part of London's water supply: the company that built it was one of the very first modern business corporations, and also one of the most profitable. London water companies were early adopters of steam power for their pumps. And Chelsea Waterworks was the first in the world to filter the water it supplied its customers: the same technique is still used to purify two-thirds of London's drinking water. But for much of London's history water had to be rationed, and the book also chronicles our changing relationship with water and the way we use it.
Amongst many stories, Nick Higham's page-turning narrative uncovers the murky tale of how the most powerful steam engine in the world was first brought to London; the extraordinary story of how one Victorian London water company deliberately cut off 2,000 households, even though it knew they had no alternative source of supply; the details of a financial scandal which brought two of the water companies close to collapse in the 1870s; and finally asks whether today's 21st century water companies are an improvement on their Victorian predecessors.
"The Mercenary River is a gruesome yet fascinating tale of how London came to be supplied with water." - Daily Telegraph
"Higham takes the reader through three centuries of life in a thirsty city, judiciously blending social, scientific and engineering history while also describing the successes and failures drawing on his skills as a journalist... but also weaving into his work larger, more complex issues... each chapter is detailed, diverse and engaging... it is clear that [Higham] spent a considerable amount of time in the archives to provide the reader with this fascinating account of an important and somewhat neglected aspect of metropolitan history." - Literary Review
"Higham's book proves a consistently fascinating read for all those curious about London's history." - Daily Mail
"It's well written... and extensively researched... This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in social and industrial history. The Mercenary River is very readable, extremely informative and a very enjoyable book." - Portobello Book Blog
"A round of applause for journalist Nick Higham... [he] has transformed pages of detailed research through three centuries of water history papers in the London Metropolitan Archives into a fascinating page-turner of a book... This is a magnificent book for anyone fascinated by the history of London, engineering, politics, human endeavour, and our challenging relationship with water." - The Thames Guardian
"[A] magnificent history . . . The pages are littered with facts, anecdotes and knitted together in a compelling, informed and at times witty narrative. There's nothing dry about The Mercenary River!" - Ham & High, Hackney Gazette, Islington Gazette
Формат: Скан PDf
No city can survive without water, and lots of it. Today we take the stuff for granted: turn a tap and it gushes out. But it wasn't always so. For centuries London, one of the largest and richest cities in the world, struggled to supply its citizens with reliable, clean water. The Mercenary River tells the story of that struggle from the middle ages to the present day.
Based on new research, it tells a tale of remarkable technological, scientific and organisational breakthroughs; but also a story of greed and complacency, high finance and low politics. Among the breakthroughs was the picturesque New River, neither new nor a river but a state of the art aqueduct completed in 1613 and still part of London's water supply: the company that built it was one of the very first modern business corporations, and also one of the most profitable. London water companies were early adopters of steam power for their pumps. And Chelsea Waterworks was the first in the world to filter the water it supplied its customers: the same technique is still used to purify two-thirds of London's drinking water. But for much of London's history water had to be rationed, and the book also chronicles our changing relationship with water and the way we use it.
Amongst many stories, Nick Higham's page-turning narrative uncovers the murky tale of how the most powerful steam engine in the world was first brought to London; the extraordinary story of how one Victorian London water company deliberately cut off 2,000 households, even though it knew they had no alternative source of supply; the details of a financial scandal which brought two of the water companies close to collapse in the 1870s; and finally asks whether today's 21st century water companies are an improvement on their Victorian predecessors.
"The Mercenary River is a gruesome yet fascinating tale of how London came to be supplied with water." - Daily Telegraph
"Higham takes the reader through three centuries of life in a thirsty city, judiciously blending social, scientific and engineering history while also describing the successes and failures drawing on his skills as a journalist... but also weaving into his work larger, more complex issues... each chapter is detailed, diverse and engaging... it is clear that [Higham] spent a considerable amount of time in the archives to provide the reader with this fascinating account of an important and somewhat neglected aspect of metropolitan history." - Literary Review
"Higham's book proves a consistently fascinating read for all those curious about London's history." - Daily Mail
"It's well written... and extensively researched... This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in social and industrial history. The Mercenary River is very readable, extremely informative and a very enjoyable book." - Portobello Book Blog
"A round of applause for journalist Nick Higham... [he] has transformed pages of detailed research through three centuries of water history papers in the London Metropolitan Archives into a fascinating page-turner of a book... This is a magnificent book for anyone fascinated by the history of London, engineering, politics, human endeavour, and our challenging relationship with water." - The Thames Guardian
"[A] magnificent history . . . The pages are littered with facts, anecdotes and knitted together in a compelling, informed and at times witty narrative. There's nothing dry about The Mercenary River!" - Ham & High, Hackney Gazette, Islington Gazette
Формат: Скан PDf
https://www.yakaboo.ua/ua/the-mercenary-river-private-greed-public-good-a-history-of-london-s-water-3254265.html