Taking an irreverent look at railway history, "4ft 81/2 and All That: A Sort of Railway History" is a humorous portrayal of the origins of Britain's railway network culminating in an A-Z glossary, which includes such entries as 'N - Numbering. Oh, now for it. This superfluous practice was invented by a certain Mr Allan who was a numismological wizard - and a great benefactor.' Illustrated throughout with line drawings and cartoons, "4ft 81/2 and All That: A Sort of Railway History" is an antidote to all those highly detailed histories that identify, sleeper by sleeper, the intricacies of operation of some obscure industrial line in the Outer Hebrides.