Book excerpt: A magnificent, illustrated history and guide of Britain's longest and arguably most important canal. Mike Clarke lived on the canal for 5 years, and his knowledge and in-depth understanding of the subject have led him to produce a wonderful book. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is England's longest and arguably most successful canal. Originally conceived as a way for Bradford merchants to reach the rapidly expanding port of Liverpool, it was begun in 1770 from both ends simultaneously, and was finally completed only in 1816. The canal runs through or near some of the most significant industrial towns of the North - Liverpool, Wigan, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Bradford and Leeds - and for many years carried a large proportion of the goods that fuelled the industrial development of the entire region.