The Iron Snake – Ronald Hardy | 1965 First UK Edition in Original Illustrated Dustwrapper

Author: Ronald Hardy
Publisher: Collins, London
Date: 1965
Edition: First UK Edition
Binding: Hardback in original illustrated dustwrapper
Condition: Near Fine book in Very Good dustwrapper
Stock Code: 004248
Location: Bookroom

Description

An attractive and exceptionally well-preserved copy of Ronald Hardy’s The Iron Snake, published by Collins in 1965. First UK edition, retaining its original illustrated dustwrapper, featuring a dramatic depiction of a steam locomotive crossing a high timber railway trestle through dense tropical vegetation.

The Iron Snake concerns the construction of the Uganda Railway, one of the most ambitious and controversial engineering projects undertaken in British East Africa during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Built between 1896 and 1901, the railway connected the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa with Kisumu on Lake Victoria, then known as Port Florence. Its construction involved formidable geographical, logistical and engineering challenges, including difficult terrain, tropical diseases, shortages of labour and materials, and the construction of bridges and other substantial infrastructure. The railway became popularly known as the Lunatic Line, reflecting contemporary criticism of its enormous expense and apparently uncertain commercial prospects. The expression Iron Snake derives from a metaphor associated with the arrival of the railway in East Africa.

Among the most famous episodes connected with its construction were the attacks by the Tsavo man-eaters, two lions that preyed upon railway workers during the building of a bridge across the Tsavo River in 1898. The incident became one of the best-known stories in the history of African railway construction.

Hardy’s account belongs to the literature of British imperial history, African exploration and railway engineering, examining a project that profoundly altered transport, settlement, commerce and colonial administration in East Africa. The railway’s consequences were far-reaching. While it facilitated the movement of goods and people, it was also an instrument of colonial expansion, with lasting effects on the communities and landscapes through which it passed.

An engaging work for readers interested in African history, colonial railways, transport history and the development of British East Africa.

The Uganda Railway and British East Africa

The Uganda Railway was conceived as a strategic connection between the East African coast and the interior, intended in part to consolidate British influence in the region and improve access to Lake Victoria.

Construction began at Mombasa in 1896 and reached Kisumu in 1901. Thousands of labourers were recruited from British India, many of whom remained in East Africa after the railway’s completion, contributing to the development of the region’s South Asian communities. The line traversed coastal plains, difficult river crossings, the Rift Valley and highland country, presenting exceptional challenges to engineers and construction workers. The railway also played an important role in the development of Nairobi, which originated as a railway depot and subsequently became the capital of Kenya.

Today, the Uganda Railway remains an important subject in the history of African infrastructure, British imperial expansion and the economic and social transformation of East Africa.

Condition

Book: Near Fine. A particularly clean and well-preserved copy. The original binding is firm and tight, with clean boards. The pages and illustrations are beautifully clean throughout.

Dustwrapper: Very Good. The original illustrated dustwrapper has some light age-related spotting, fading, small nicks and rubbing, particularly to the edges, corners and spine extremities. There is some surface wear to the front panel, but the attractive pictorial design remains clear and striking.

The dustwrapper is now protected in an easily removable clear acetate archival cover.

The photographs form part of the description.

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Established in 1976, Hornseys is an independent British bookseller specialising in carefully selected rare books, first editions, travel and exploration literature, railway history, illustrated books, maps and historical material.

Every book is individually examined and catalogued, with particular attention to bibliographical accuracy, edition identification, completeness, original bindings and dustwrapper condition.

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An attractive first UK edition of a work concerning one of the most remarkable railway engineering projects in British East African history, retaining its original pictorial dustwrapper.