The canal pioneers : canal construction from 2,500 BC to the early 20th century /

Includes QR code.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

This is the story of canals used for transport and the men who built them from the earliest times, up to the end of the ninteenth century. This is a very long history: stones for the pyramids of Egypt were brought to the site by canal and one of the most imposing canal systems ever built, the Grand Canal of China, was begun in the sixth century BC. Development after the end of the Roman Empire was slow, but saw the steady improvement of river navigations through locks - the mitre gates were actually first designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The modern age of canals that cross summits began in France, and the most famous of these early waterways was the magnificent Canal du Midi, the brainchild of Pierre-Paul Riquet, completed in 1681. This book tells an exciting story of canal development and the many men who made it possible.