Making history on Docklands

An author of 11 other books on the area, his interest in Docklands began in 1979 when he pleaded with Michael Heseltine, who spearheaded the regeneration of the quarter, to save its historic buildings.

This led to the Greater London Council giving Professor Naib - and a team from North East London Polytechnic where he worked at the time - a £50,000 grant to research which buildings to keep.

He said: "I walked through Docklands and it was in a terrible state. Buildings were deserted, roofs were damaged. The collapse of industry in the area had left people isolated and bewildered.

"But the docks themselves are a marvel of civil engineering."

Among many of the buildings which Professor Naib's team said could be salvaged were Warehouse One and Two on West India Quay - now home to the Museum of London Docklands, bars, restaurants and apartments.

Professor Naib's latest book has already won a fan in Canary Wharf chief executive George Iacobescu, himself a civil engineer by trade.

Over three years Professor Naib researched hundreds of rare pictures for the book - almost all of which were originally without any information attached - accrediting them to their creator, dating them and giving background information.

It is the most comprehensive of the 12 books he has put together on the area.

He said: "There are books on the history of the British Empire but they are all talk, talk, talk.

"What we have done is illustrate every single period of the great British Empire in the heart of Docklands, because Docklands was the heart of it. It's an amazing area.

"It has always been about trade and now we have seen a transformation from a trade in goods to a trade in commerce in Canary Wharf."

For information about the books, please call the University of East London on: 020 8223 2478/2531/2530, or email Professor Naib at s.k.alnaib@uel.ac.uk.