Sun, Steel & Spray - A history of the Victoria Falls Bridge

Sun, Steel & Spray

A History of the Victoria Falls Bridge




Sun, Steel and Spray - A History of the Victoria Falls Bridge  

New Updated Edition

We're pleased to announce a new updated and expanded fifth edition (238 pages, over 76,000 words), published December 2022.




'Sun, Steel and Spray - A History of the Victoria Falls Bridge' presents a comprehensive and detailed study of this iconic structure and engineering marvel. Built in 1904-5 as a vital link in the envisaged Cape to Cairo railway north into central Africa, the spanning of the Zambezi pushed engineering knowledge and construction techniques to new heights, literally, for at the time the Victoria Falls Bridge was the highest of its kind over water.

With over 100 period photographs and illustrations, 'Sun, Steel and Spray' is full of interesting facts, entertaining stories and information detailing the rich history of the Victoria Falls Bridge, from conception and construction to its ongoing management and maintenance. This revised edition builds on the information previously published, with expanded text and many additional stories, details and images.

The Victoria Falls Bridge




About the book


Sun, Steel & Spray - A History of the Victoria Falls Bridge is a comprehensive history of the planning and construction of the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge and is illustrated with a wealth of photographs from the building of the bridge to modern day.

Cape to Cairo Railway Construction   Victoria Falls Railway Station

The Victoria Falls Bridge spans the Batoka Gorge a few hundred metres downstream of the great Victoria Falls. Over hundred metres below the Zambezi River thunders through rock and rapids on its was to the Indian Ocean.

Built in 1904-5 as part of the extension of the railway north into central Africa, the opening of the Victoria Falls Bridge was celebrated across the world, and together with the Victoria Falls Hotel put the Victoria Falls on the global tourism map.

Victoria Falls Bridge Construction   Victoria Falls Bridge Construction


Part of the grand vision of the development of a Cape-to-Cairo railway, Sun, Steel and Spray - A history of the Victoria Falls Bridge gives an brief overview of the development of the railway from the southern Cape to the banks of the Zambezi, with detailed sections on the design, commission and construction of the Victoria Falls Bridge, and includes a history of the bridge to date within the context of travel and tourism to the Victoria Falls.

With over 100 photographs and illustrations Sun, Steel and Spray - A History of the Victoria Falls Bridge is full of interesting facts, stories and information on the building of this landmark engineering achievement.

Victoria Falls Bridge Construction   Victoria Falls Bridge Construction


The building of the bridge was a landmark event in the development of southern Africa. Only fifty years earlier David Livingstone had made its setting, the Victoria Falls, known to the world. Now there was a railway linking Cape Town direct to the Falls themselves, and the small matter of bridging the gorge of the Zambezi River, only a short distance below the Falls.

Technical engineering details are kept to a minimum, and the book aims to be an interesting and entertaining read, highlighting many characters, side stories and snippets of history. Did you know, for instance, that in 1914 a German spy stole the plans for the bridge! Whilst potentially a target for German sabotage during the war, the bridge luckily escaped the attentions of Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and survives to this day. In fact the bridge has been at risk of being blown up three times over its history.

Read more on the building of the Victoria Falls Bridge in our Bridge feature section on the history of the Victoria Falls Bridge.



Sun, Steel & Spray - A History of the Victoria Falls Bridge is available on different Amazon sites allowing payment in US dollars or UK pounds and dispatch within each country (or beyond - postal rates may vary).

Amazon's UK site

Amazon's US site

The author can order copies for overseas orders outside of these areas (and with discounts for multiple copies) - please see the Contact Us page)





A Railway Engineer in Rhodesia - Charles Murray Ingledew   African Odyssey - The Development of the Drewry Railcar (1902-1908)   To The Banks of the Zambezi and Beyond - Railway Construction from the Cape to the Congo   Life and Death at the Old Drift, Victoria Falls 1898-1905   Footsteps Through Time - A History of Travela and Tourism to the Victoria Falls   Corridors Through Time - A History of the Victoria Falls Hotel




Explore the history of the Victoria Falls online - www.tothevictoriafalls.com

Explore the History of the Victoria Falls