This Great National Object

Styran, Roberta M.; Taylor, Robert

ISBN 10: 0773538933 / ISBN 13: 9780773538931

Published by McGill-Queen's University Press, 2012

About this Item

In This Great National Object, Roberta Styran and Robert Taylor - the unparalleled experts on the subject - recount the story of the canals, with particular emphasis on the experiences of the engineers, contractors, and labourers who built the inland waterways between 1824 and 1889. Num Pages: 432 pages, 74 b&w photos. BIC Classification: 1KBCO; 3JH; HBJK; HBLL; KNGS. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 5817 x 3887 x 916. Weight in Grams: 748. . 2012. Hardback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780773538931

Bibliographic Details

• Title: This Great National Object
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0773538933
• ISBN 13: 9780773538931
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

In This Great National Object, Roberta Styran and Robert Taylor - the unparalleled experts on the subject - recount the story of the canals, with particular emphasis on the experiences of the engineers, contractors, and labourers who built the inland waterways between 1824 and 1889.

Making extensive use of the National Archives and the Archives of Ontario, Styran and Taylor unveil previously unpublished information about the construction of the canals, including technical plans and drawings from a wide variety of sources. They illustrate the technical and management intricacies of building a navigational trade and commerce lifeline while also revealing the vivid characters - from businessman William Hamilton Merritt to engineer John Page - who inspired the project and drove it to completion.

The history of the Welland Canals is a gripping tale of epic proportions. Given the ongoing importance of the Great Lakes in the North American economy, interest in the St. Lawrence Seaway - of which the Welland is "the Great Swivel Link" - and the relevance of labour history, This Great National Object will be of interest to enthusiasts and historians alike.

About the Authors

Roberta M. Styran, retired assistant professor of history at Brock University and co-author of The Great Swivel Link: Canada's Welland Canal, is the 2009 recipient of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering's W. Gordon Plewes Award.

Robert R. Taylor is professor emeritus of history at Brock University and the author of several books on architecture, local history, and, with Roberta Styran, the Welland Canals.