Description

A compendium of fascinating and evocative new writing on railway travel and history. Telling of little known journeys and uncovered histories on railway routes around the world – from the UK, Europe and Africa to North America, the Middle East and Asia.

From Myanmar’s highlands to the British Pennines, from slow travel between coffee plantations in Borneo to a cross-continent odyssey on African railways, from the pioneers of the American West to European trains in war, this is a new prism through which to explore human lives, and global landscapes, politics and history.

The Untold Railway Stories is a testament to both the joy and impact of train travel – to the ambition and ingenuity, and also to destruction and sacrifice within its history – and is published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of first passenger railway line.

Publisher Review

‘A book as spirited, nostalgic and idiosyncratic as railways themselves, proof that adventure always awaits on the next platform’ Dwayne Fields, author of Exploring My Limits ‘A riveting read. From the jungles of Myanmar to the heart of sub-Saharan Africa, from colonial oppression to post-modern pipe-dreams, railways always carry more than just cargo. They carry the weight of human ambition, in all its tragedy, comedy, romance and hubris. For better and worse these iron arteries have reshaped our world, and I’m deeply grateful to the authors in this collection who’ve opened doors to stories and places most of us could never reach alone’ Alex Bescoby, author of The Last Overland