Description

Christian Wolmar expertly tells the story of the Trans-Siberian railway from its conception and construction under Tsar Alexander III, to the northern extension ordered by Brezhnev and its current success as a vital artery. He also explores the crucial role the line played in both the Russian Civil War -Trotsky famously used an armoured carriage as his command post – and the Second World War, during which the railway saved the country from certain defeat. Like the author’s previous railway histories, it focuses on the personalities, as well as the political and economic events, that lay behind one of the most extraordinary engineering triumphs of the nineteenth century.

Publisher Review

Does justice to the tale of the world's longest railway... Free of niche anorak jargon, Wolmar's writing is like any self-respecting railway should be: direct, pacey and open to all. * Lonely Planet Traveller * With characteristic clarity, Wolmar argues that no railway has been so geopolitically important. This may be "a heavy burden for a humble iron road" to carry, but his history makes a convincing case. -- Andrew Martin * Mail on Sunday * Fascinating... An excellent examination of one the most extraordinary engineering feats of the 19th century. * Daily Express * Christian Wolmar is Britain's foremost railway historian, with almost a dozen books on railways in Britain and abroad. This is one of his best. Witty, fluent and opinionated, he shows a superb grasp of Russia - its people, history and mindset... Wolmar leaves us in awe of an achievement that has made the Trans-Siberian not only the longest but the greatest railway line ever built. * The Times *