During a few brief years in the late 1940s and early 1950s Robert Longden took a remarkable set of photographs of the narrow boats community at Hawkesbury Stop - the main meeting point for those who worked the Midlands canals. The images are of a close community and represent its members in a very intimate way, at work, at play, in their domestic affairs, and as they lived on the paired and single colourful narrowboats. They illustrate the close relationship between all ages and types within the community, and the dramatic boat shapes and infrascape of this rural and industrial area.

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This excellent-value 96-page book has a a splendid selection of archive canal photos from the working days of the waterways.  The carefully selected photos are clear images of an industrial past long gone and a way of life that few can now remember.  There are many striking images, and the detailed captions explain what happened, why it happened, and where it happened.

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London River is the dramatic and colourful life story of London's great river, with over 100 illustrations.  The book was published to accompany a TV series at the time, but stands on its own as an insightful introduction and more for all those with an interest in the Thames.  This is the hardback edition.

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This lavishly illustrated book provides a selection of finely detailed black & white and sepia photographs from throughout England, with a few from Wales, over the first half of the 20th century, providing a unique insight and capturing the essence of the rich and varied life of England's canals and waterways.

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This compact book, from publisher Ian Allen limited, comprises over 200 black & white photographs from eminent waterways photographer Derek Pratt near the start of his career.  The book, published in 1982, features waterways that were just emerging from failing commercial use into their new role in the leisure industry.  It captures a time when there was renewed hope for the waterways, and yet now, to many of us, these photos will have a nostalgic feel.

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This is a nostalgic look at how life on our rivers and canals has changed during the last century, through the memories of those men and women whose work both on and by the waterways was of vital importance to the country.

Our rivers and canals hold an undisputed attraction for the many people who choose to spend their leisure time on or by the water.  But few realise what an important role our inland waterway system once played in the economy of the country, and how many different people have spent their working lives either on the water or maintaining the waterways themselves.

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This lavishly illustrated celebration of canals and rivers is designed to whet the appetite of every aspiring inland navigator. Describing the huge variety of networks in Belgium, England and Wales, France, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Scotland and Sweden, it is an ideal planning aid for the private boat owner, cruiser hirer, passenger craft traveller or motorist seeking watery excursions.

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The final volume in the Anatomy of Canals series brings the story right up to date.  Canal Mania hit Britain in the 1790s; when it subsided canal construction still carried on, but under the shadow of a new threat, as the first locomotives puffed their way onto the transport scene.  Engineers rose to the challenge by building ever more direct routes, with deep cuttings and high embankments.  This was also an age of experiment, with devices such as boat lifts, culminating in the famous Anderton Boat Lift, now restored to working order.

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This second volume in the Anatomy of Canals series charts the history of the British canal system at the height of its popularity.  Canal building that had stuttered almost to a standstill in the 1780s was revitalised in the 1790s when new schemes were suddenly being promoted with astonishing rapidity.  No fewer than 21 canal acts were passed in 1793 alone, and this early part of the decade became known as the time of Canal Mania.

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Waterways Past and Present is a unique photographic record of Britain's magnificent and varied waterways heritage.  Through the superb photography of Derek Pratt, this book looks at 40 transitional years when Britain's inland waterways changed from being a thriving commercial transport system to the varied and beautiful pleasure cruising network it is today.  On many pages, superb atmospheric black and white photos from 30 and 40 years ago, are juxtaposed with vibrant colour photos showing the waterways today.

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