Storehouses of Empire by Colum Giles

Storehouses of Empire by Colum Giles – Liverpool’s historic warehouses – is a short book, filled with pictures. It tells a fascinating story of the warehouses built in Liverpool. After the end of the British involvement in the Transatlantic slavery in 1807, the port of Liverpool instead of loosing money it continued to develop because of goods which passed through the city. This book is about one very important part of that trade – warehousing for logistics.

The book is clear and has a lot of interesting details, like the types of goods stored and the differences between the warehouses. Some are a few stories high while others only had 2 floors. For some goods which were prone to burn fast, specialised warehousing was made. I found that really interesting and something I would like to read more about.

I highly recommend the book if you are planning to visit Liverpool and want to know more about the nice buildings you are going to see in the city centre, as the docks are the most important part of the city. Otherwise, if you live in Liverpool it is worth reading, just to know more about the place you call home.