History has not been kind to the memory of William Mackenzie. While the names of Telford and Stephenson continue to be well known today, that of William Mackenzie, one of the most important figures in the engineering world during the first half of the nineteenth century, has slipped from prominence.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has now published The Diary of William Mackenzie, a fascinating new book which presents a unique record of this important figure and also of the Victorian world in which he lived, affording new insights for economic, social and engineering historians. Mackenzie's remarkable career was based on the business of building railways and canals. He was at the forefront of the export of Britain's technical expertise, for the development of Europe's infrastructure.