The African continent was cracked open to foreign influence and trade by vast infrastructure projects, of which the railways system had the biggest impact.
H.F. Varian was one of those pioneering engineers who were the boots on the ground for the visionary political and commercial leaders who dreamed fantastic dreams of an African continent connected and flourishing (albeit with them themselves reaping enormous benefits)
Varian recounts here the day-to-day work of surveying routes, building bridges and laying track through often inhospitable terrain. He also had to deal with royals, secret agents, african queens, witch doctors and snake charmers. A simply fascinating account of taming wild Africa.