Steel in the Sand PDF / Book

The History of Egypt and its Railways: 150 Years 1852-2002

Egypt’s large, historic and diverse railway system forms a crucial but little-known aspect of the country’s modern history. Running through Nile marshland and arid deserts and dating from 1852, Egypt’s railways have been fundamental in wars and empires, and now form the bedrock of a major country whose population is growing at 1 million souls every year.

This PDF version of the original 2002 Steel in the Sand comprises 60 pages charting the development of the system against the backdrop of Egyptian political and economic history in these chapters:

1. The Two Kingdoms 1811-1850
2. Railway Mania & Bankruptcy 1850-1882
3. Paying the Price 1882-1919
4. Profit & Loss 1919-1952
5. Command & Control 1952-1973
6. The New Kingdom 1974-2003

This Demy-size printed book version of Steel in the Sand runs to 103 pages and contains in-line tables and appendices including historic locomotive appendices from 1889 and 1926.