British Rail

Pre-order the authoritative and enthralling history of of the rise and fall of the state-owned British Rail. You think you know British Rail. From the sandwiches to the inefficiency to the violent yellow livery, we haven't looked kindly on this, the last of our great state-owned organizations to be privatized. But you don't know the whole story. From its creation after the Second World War, through its fifty-year lifetime, British Rail was an innovative powerhouse that transformed our transport system, uniting disparate lines into a highly competent organization - heralding 'The Age of the Train' and for a time providing one of the fastest regular rail services in the world. Born into post-war austerity, traumatized, impoverished and exploited by a hostile press, the state-owned railway was dismissed as a dinosaur unable to evolve, and swept away by a government hellbent on selling it off. Now, award-winning writer Christian Wolmar provides a new perspective on national loss in a time of privatization. British Rail is ripe for a new history. Praise for Christian Wolmar The greatest expert on British trains' - The Guardian 'Our most eminent transport journalist' - The Spectator 'If the world's railways have a laureate, it is surely Christian Wolmar' - Boston Globe 'Christian Wolmar is in love with the railways. He writes constantly and passionately about them. He is their wisest, most detailed historian and a constant prophet of their rebirth . . . if you love the hum of the wheels and of history, then Christian Wolmar is your man' - Observer