Waterscapes - (New Historical Perspectives) by Andrew McTominey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Carving vast lakes into the countryside, reservoirs have long reshaped the landscapes and communities of England and Wales. Waterscapes evaluates how these feats of engineering transformed rural and urban environments between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, altering local ecologies and economies. Through studies of Leeds's Washburn Valley, Liverpool's Vyrnwy Reservoir, and Birmingham's Elan Reservoir, Andrew McTominey addresses the environmental consequences of dam construction and the surprising ways in which reservoirs became sites of leisure and tourism.

McTominey explains that water management has never been a simple question of supply and demand, but a story of contested landscapes and the complex interplay between nature and human ambition. Drawing on environmental history and urban studies, Waterscapes demystifies the reservoirs that continue to shape Britain's countryside and city life.

Review Quotes

A compelling dive into the cultural tides of twentieth-century Britain, explored through the overlooked influence of reservoir construction on city-countryside relations, civic pride and rural landscapes. Richly researched and in communication with novel theoretical and methodological approaches, this book should be required reading for not just environmental and urban historians but policymakers too.
- Tom Hulme, Reader in Moden British History, Queen's University Belfast, UK

About the Author