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A review by Prof. Kevin Wall of Tony Murray's new book titled, Much Water under Many Bridges. An Engineering History of the Catchments, Rivers, and Drainage Systems of Greater Cape Town.
This book is truly a labour of love. Every page is a tribute to Tony's enthusiasm for his subject and his intimate knowledge, gained in a lifetime of working in Cape Town. Nobody else could have written this book - certainly not with the empathy for the subject, and the understanding that comes from having been there at the time of an appreciable number of the events described.
Getting it published has been a saga. More than 90% of this book was publication-ready twenty years ago, and it is only now, thanks to Tony's persistence and, latterly, the intervention of the SAICE History and Heritage Panel, that it has reached the bookshelves.
If you have any interest in engineering history, get yourself a copy. If you live in or know Cape Town, get yourself a copy - you will be surprised by how much you will learn about Cape Town's complex topography. If you would like a good read about the evolution of a city, and the politics and personalities around its service delivery, even...