The Lunatic Express: An Entertainment in Imperialism

by Charles Miller

Book Overview

In 1895, George Whitehouse arrived at the east African post of Mombasa to perform an engineering miracle: the building of the Mombasa-Nairobi-Lake Victoria Railway--a 600-mile route that was largely... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345258428
• ISBN13: 9780345258427
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Westlands Sundries
• Length: 629 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Lunatic Express:

The Lunatic Express: An Entertainment in Imperialism is about the great Uganda Railway that was started and finished by the mighty British Empire of the late 19th century. Construction began in 1895 at the port of Mombasa and ended at Port Florence (named after Engineer Ronald O. Preston's beloved wife) at Lake Victora. From January until December in 1898 the crews were attacked by man-eating lions. First with Preston then Patterson. More than 130 people died, 30 being of the construction labor. It is a great book to read, full of excitement, adventure, danger and the need to press on to be the greatest. I have read Charles Miller's wonderful book and it is a real page turner. History is great and when it comes to East Africa you cannot ask for a better book , outside of the books written by the people that were there. I hope you will enjoy it the same as I.

About This Book

"The story of how the six-year, 5 million pounds railway line was built over the desert, across the Great Rift Valley and through 100 miles of quagmire, against the odds of disease, tribal raids, marauding animals and mechanical fiasco, is a fascinating tale of courage from a pioneering age now disappeared." 6 page Bibliography, 14 pp of End Notes, and over 25 pp of b & w illustrations.