Atchley's Civil Engineer's and Contractor's Estimate and Price Book

This 1872 reprint offers a direct window into the practical world of Victorian-era construction, providing the original formulas, material costs, and labor calculations used by civil engineers and contractors of the period. Readers are given the actual price lists for everything from bricks and timber to the daily wages for various trades, serving as a primary source document for historical cost analysis. The book functions as a detailed time capsule of 19th-century building economics and engineering methodology.

As a historical reprint, the value here is entirely in its authenticity as a period piece, making it a niche resource for historians, architectural preservationists, and authors seeking accurate period detail. Potential readers should be aware that, as noted by the publisher, the physical quality may reflect the book's age, with possibilities of imperfections. For those researching the foundations of modern civil engineering, this volume provides an unvarnished look at the gritty financial and logistical realities of building the 19th century's infrastructure.