I am indebted to the following people for providing me with places to work during the past two years: Francis Pike, Martha Crewe (again), and the entire staff at Santa Monica’s Hostel in Zanzibar — Natty, Martin, Mary, Teddy, Faith, Willy and, most of all, my good friend Mr Sam Mkwaya.
In order to write this book, I had to do a great deal of research. Particularly valuable to me were Monsieur Jean Roret, Dr A. J. Monhemius, Professor Fred Norbury, Tom Jaine, Adela Arrambide and Isela Rueda. I am also grateful to the Musée D’Orsay in Paris, and to the British Library, the Science Museum Library, The Royal Institute of British Architects and the Victoria & Albert Museum Library in London.
Lastly I would like to thank Imogen for being a wonderful agent and to wish her well in whatever happens next. I would also like to thank everyone at Bloomsbury, especially Liz, Ruth, Sarah, Mary, Lucy, Nigel, Alan and David, for continuing to support my work and for becoming, over the years, a kind of second family.
This book is dedicated to the memory of Kamps Veeran.