Works: what feats sparked leaps: The gifts of civil engineering geniuses that shaped the public works of London metropolis

It takes a collective dream, a colossally pressing issue and a civil engineering genius to design infrastructure projects that not only solve the problem of its time but also set a fine example of reliability, continuity and robustness.

’Works’ takes the reader through some of London’s the most ingenious public works that tackled enormous challenges and fuelled growth and progress of London we know today. Through eloquent and elegantly illustrated verse it delves into Bazalgette’s sewerage system and explores Crossness Pumping station, it travels across the English Channel to Paris on the Eurostar, it examines Victorian tunnels suck as Blackwall and Rotherhithe, and explores Silvertown, busy Dartford Junction, M25 and motorway networks, and elaborates on airports among other infrastructure projects that continue to shape the development of the UK metropolis.

It comes as a third book on infrastructure in London Baby series following ’Bridges’ and ’Stations’. For a civil engineering enthusiast or an aspiring young ’Brunel’ fellow, those books are an excellent and artistic way to crash course into the subject.

The book fits neatly in the hand and serves as a quality companion for self-guided exploration and fascination.