A fascinating portrait of the river at the height of its Victorian prosperity. On the upper Thames it was the carefree era of regattas and riverside picnics, while London's tideway and great docks were busy with the comings and goings of barges, steamers and sailing ships servicing the world's largest port and the Empire on which the sun never set. This treasure trove of a book has descriptions of the villages and towns along the river from its source near Cricklade to the Nore Lightship. It is packed with practical advice, maps of popular destinations, locations of angling and bathing spots. Riverside inns to accommodate oarsmen are listed with details of how to return boats by train at a time when an annual season ticket between Windsor and Paddington cost as little as GBP18.