British Engineers and Africa, 1875-1914 (Empires in Perspective) - Hardcover

'through a close study of imperialism and the civil engineering profession in London, it adds much-needed momentum to the field of cultural studies of engineering history. Andersen has provided a valuable and important starting point from which more scholarship is likely to grow.' Victorian Studies 'British Engineers and Africa demonstrates the significance both of engineers as active protagonists of the British empire and of imperial interconnections in shaping the profession and identity of British engineering. This excellent book should be required reading for scholars and students of the "new" imperial history and for those interested in the confluence of science, technology, and European imperialism.' American Historical Review 'this book will provide helpful information to any scholar interested in imperial policy and the politics of infrastructure and technology' Journal of British Studies 'a thought-provoking book about the relationship between engineering and empire ... this important work will stimulate debate about the critical role the engineering profession played' Technology and Culture '[This book] expands(s) the continent of engineering history and revise its topography. [It] show(s) that engineering history is alive and well, and [it] provide(s) many future avenues of research.' ICON

Using a wide range of primary sources that include correspondence, diaries, technical reports, institutional minutes and periodicals, Andersen reconstructs the networks and activities of Britain's engineers while focusing on London as a centre of imperial expansion.