The Great Days of the Canals

The Great Days of the Canals
by Anthony Burton
January 2012

This has to be the best fiver I have ever spent.

There is a little gem of a second hand bookshop in Beverley which is an enthusiasts paradise. It has sections on everything, including a "waterways" pile on the corner of the stairs and every time Belle or I go to Beverley the pile is dutifully visited and reviewed.

The latest visit yielded The Great Days of Canals by Anthony Burton , a 1989 coffee table type book with a hefty £17.99 price tag  which was a lot even in the days of Porches, Peugeot 205's, Gordon Gecko, Braces and mobile phones like bricks. But a pristine version was mine for the princely sum of £5.

Its a massive book, full of great illustrations and a narrative which in my view is just the right amount of detail and story. If I had to write a single book about the canals from their origins to their restoration, with a good look at the boats and the lives of those that worked them, this is how I would like it to turn out.

Anthony Burton is an enthusiast as well as an author, an article of his appearing in this months Canal Boat magazine and his passion shine through. Great canals, great read, great book.