Overview

Exploring the sinister history of Britain's canals. Canals were the lifeblood of the Industrial Revolution, but prosperity had its price: crime. From the earliest days, canals had a shady reputation, and in Victorian Britain disturbing facts emerged to reveal the hidden side of the water, isolated places where sinister figures lurked in the shadows. When a brutal murder in 1839 created a national outcry, it seemed to confirm all the worst fears about boatmen, a tough breed of men surviving harsh conditions, who enforced their own kind of rough justice, and were swiftly branded as outlaws by the press. Drawing on a rich collection of original sources, this new study by Dr Susan Law brings to life dramatic stories, gruesome, shocking and tragic. These evocative snapshots uncover the secret world of the waterways set apart on the edge of society, to reveal the real human cost of the Industrial Revolution. AUTHOR: Dr Susan C. Law, a career journalist with an focus on investigative and crime reporting, has worked as a volunteer for the Canal & River Trust since 2017. Her work has been published in a range of media, including BBC History Magazine, The Times Higher Education Supplement, Financial Times, and London Evening Standard. She has previously written Through the Keyhole: Sex, Scandal and the Secret Life of the Country House. 25 b/w illustrations

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9781803993300

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'A trove of human drama from a less explored facet of the Industrial Revolution.' Historical Novel Society 'Sue Law ... is to be congratulated on filling in a long neglected area of waterways scholarship. But more practically, for creating a superb, rattling read.' Waterways World 'A good read for the fireside, just stay off the gin!' Towpath Talk

Author Information

Susan C. Law, a career journalist with a focus on investigative and crime reporting, has worked as a volunteer for the Canal & River Trust since 2017. Her work has been published in a range of media, including BBC History Magazine, The Times Higher Education Supplement, Financial Times, and London Evening Standard. She has previously written Through the Keyhole: Sex, Scandal and the Secret Life of the Country House.

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