Railway book reviews

[newbie babs]

Now I know some on this site would prefer if I shut up and left.
BUT
I want to know if any of you on here read railway books (as thats part of being a railway enthusiast) and would like to let other members of the forum know about them.
Book review I was thinking.
If there is enough members that would like to do so then the moderators will create a space for it.

Let me know, that's if this thread does not get pulled and I am banished to a far distant land

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I don't really read railway books. My favourite literature is from people like Robert Harris, John le Carre, Len Deighton, Alistair Cooke, George Orwell and John Steinbeck. A real mix there!

 

[EM2]

Most of mine are modelling books, such as any of the ones by Iain Rice or Paul A. Lunn. Santona have a good range too.
But I also like the Railway Detective series by Andrew Martin.

 

[Minilad]

I am a sucker for Railway Maps.
The sheer numbers of railway books out there means you are always likely to overlook a gem of a book. So maybe some sort of thread where people can make recommendations in various categories would be a useful addition to the forum.

 

[Ivo]

I am a sucker for Railway Maps.
The sheer numbers of railway books out there means you are always likely to overlook a gem of a book. So maybe some sort of thread where people can make recommendations in various categories would be a useful addition to the forum.

What he said. I have maps of both road and rail filling an entire shelf in my study bedroom (well, a few are Working Timetables), and a plethora more back home. I would certainly be up for such an idea, although can I be cheeky and ask for my novel to be included when it's done [shameless plug]? )

 

[Barrett M95]

Why would you be banished for this? Have I missed something?!

 

[yorkie]

Why would you be banished for this? Have I missed something?!

You may have missed some private correspondence, but of course no-one would be banished for making such a suggestion; the suggestion is to be welcomed! XCDriver's idea may be the best way to implement it initially.

 

[BlythPower]

Now I know some on this site would prefer if I shut up and left...

hock: What on earth for..?

I've just finished reading John Glover's 'Eastern Electric'. Picked it up at a bargain £7.99 in Whitby. It's an excellent, authoritative and thoroughly readable account of electric railways in the Eastern/North Eastern regions. Starts with Tyneside and finishes with West Yorkshire.

 

[yorksrob]

hock: What on earth for..?

I've just finished reading John Glover's 'Eastern Electric'. Picked it up at a bargain £7.99 in Whitby. It's an excellent, authoritative and thoroughly readable account of electric railways in the Eastern/North Eastern regions. Starts with Tyneside and finishes with West Yorkshire.

I picked it up from (presumably) the same shop in Whitby two weeks ago

 

[deltic1989]

i have some of eric treacys books. and i have a facinating book called the lost lines of britain by julian holland, its a guide to walks an cycle tracks following old trackbeds its very informative. for the record babs i dont wish you would leave, i find your postings interesting, hopefully any issues you have had are now resolved.

 

[Aictos]

There's a book I'm looking to get for Christmas called Great British Railway Journeys which is the book edition of the TV series of the same name hosted by Michael Portillo - it's interesting because not only does it appeal to rail fans but also people who aren't interested in the railways but are interested in the history of the UK.

 

[trentside]

This section seems like a great idea. Will be interested to see what people are reading or have read and what they thought of them, as I don't have a massive collection of railway books, despite my love of reading.

Earlier in the year I acquired a copy of Rails Through the Clay. It charts the history of London's tube railways (not the sub-surface lines, except where there is crossover) and goes into detail on everything from the initial formation of the companies, their finances, Acts of Parliament, the construction of the lines, rolling stock built and used. There's also detail on numerous abandoned projects and extensions. Far too much to list here really. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Tube, or railways in general. There are two editions, published 1962 and 1993. I have the latter, as it's the most up to date (sadly both authors have since passed away, so further updates are unlikely). It is out of print and some places are asking extraordinary prices - but if you shop around you can pick up a copy for as little as £15.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In some ways, I am pleased to be the age (66) that I am, as in my younger days, there were books by O S Nock, Bishop Eric Treacy, David Ross, etc, full of reminiscences of their times of railway connections and you could always refer to these at your leisure when checking upon facts.

My specific area of railway history covers the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the three-volume book series on this railway by John Marshall that was published from 1969 to 1972 by David & Charles, was written in quite an easy format to gain the insight into the subject, when I decided to make this particular railway my main focus for historical research.

Recent publications of "The Lost Railways" series are useful for people having a generalised interest in this section of the hobby.

 

[newbie babs]

Thank you for those that replied, I thought it would be a good idea, but not everyone reads railway stuff, surprisingly with the knowledgeable threads on this site.

For those that do like to read anything about Railways, be it tickets, routes, history, steam, diesels, mapping etc, keep reading, you will always find something interesting in each and every book.

 

[yorkie]

Thanks for your interest in railway book reviews. Feel free to write such reviews, and post them in an appropriate section (e.g. the generic Railwayana section is for anything anyone would buy such as books, however a particular section may be more appropriate e.g. if it is about international journeys, then theInternational Transport section is best, while if it's about any metro system(s), then the Metro, Light Rail & Other Transport would be appropriate, if it was a book about a preserved railway then the Preservation & Heritage section would be suitable).

If there are a lot of reviews, enough to create a reviews section, then we will create a dedicated section and move the existing reviews into it.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Its unlikely that I would have much to contribute to this suggestion, either as a consumer or supplier, but it would be of casual interest.
I have bought 2 or 3 railway items from eBay over recent years and would be happier if there was a more dedicated source of items and appropriate reviews.
One day, I might get round to to listing and publicising my father's accumulated 'stuff' which seems to include a lot of railway books, images and maps (but maybe not!).

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I will add that I tend to do most of my modern railway reading on the Internet / in magazines. More historic reading tends to be done from maps, history books, or books from the 70s / 80s.

Oh, I also own literally tonnes of BR and modern timetables too