The Story of the Cape to Cairo Railway and River Route from 1887 to 1922. 5 vols. Complete and all published (Vols. I-IV text; Vol. V: portfolio of maps and Index). ...

This is a rare or used book from the Berkelouw Rare Books Department.

London: The Pioneer Publishing Co. (1923-1926). 4to. Uniformly bound in orig. hf. morocco with the portfolio in orig. qtr. morocco. Spines gilt panelled. Green cloth boards slightly flecked. Profusely illustrated with mounted photographic portraits halftone plates (many folding) text-illusts. and folding mostly coloured maps of which 12 in the map portfolio. 1st ed. Former owner's name on front fly-leaves otherwise a fine handsome and complete set. NOTE: This exhaustive work on one of the most difficult engineering projects of its age is as stated by J.C. Smuts in the foreword a "monumental record of African pioneering". There are over 2000 pages of text and the illustrations are exceptional in every regard. There are numerous portraits being actual tipped in sepia photographs colour plates and breathtaking maps. Though the works centers on the railway and river route it also encompasses virtually every aspect of British exploration pioneering and development in Africa. Weinthal has compiled this great work from a list of sources and contributors that would all by themselves constitute a great Africana library. To name just a small percentage of them we find: Winston Churchill Sir Percy Fitzpatrick Theodore Roosevelt Harry Johnston Flinders Petrie Frederick Selous J.C. Smuts and Francis Younghusbands. While the focus stays largely on the route and development of the rail line there is no shortage of information on the native peoples the game and wildlife the gold and diamond mining operations the geography the cartography and much much more.