Chelsea to Cairo

This book records the history of John Taylor and Sons and their predecessors. Gwilym Roberts describes civilisation as a product of engineering. In this book he demonstrates how mankind's dependence on technology goes back to the earliest civilisations, when irrigation systems enabled our ancestors to abandon a nomadic existence and when artisans produced the artefacts needed for both existence and recreation. The author acknowledges that engineers have built on the discoveries and inventions of scientists and converted the earth's natural resources into the energy and goods on which our modern civilisation entirely depends.He describes engineers as the heroes of the nineteenth century, but the unsung heroes of the twentieth who have provided modern clean water supplies, which is one of the principal reasons for our present longevity and good health. The foundations of our modern urban water supply systems had to await the technical developments of the 19th century industrial revolution and the establishment of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1818.
These developments permitted such innovations as cast iron mains, steam-driven pumps, upstream abstraction, impounding reservoirs and ultimately, constant service."Chelsea to Cairo" is an interesting narrative on how today's water and public health engineers have continued to strive and achieve the sophisticated facilities expected by society, and the high standards demanded by legislators. In the developing world, engineers have played a major role in improving living conditions and helping governments cope with the problems caused by phenomenal population growth. From the establishment of the Chelsea Waterworks Company in 1722 to the on-going multi-billion pound Cairo Wastewater Project, this book describes many large and small projects undertaken by John Taylor and Sons over a three hundred year period.Historians, students and practitioners in the water industry will find this book a valuable and interesting reference source. It chronicles a magical era of expansion of British engineers into overseas markets which has led to engineering design and advice becoming one of the UK's most valuable invisible exports.
About the author: Gwilym Roberts joined John Taylor and Sons in 1947 and became a partner in 1956. He played a significant role in developing the firm into a major international consultancy until 1987 when John Taylor and Sons merged with Freeman Fox and Partners to form the Acer Group, where the author became founding chairman. By the time he retired in 1992 the firm had worked in nearly forty countries and staff numbers had grown to over 2,300. Gwilym Roberts was President of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1986 and appointed CBE the following year.