'Marvellously informative... a book that has given me more pleasure than any I can remember in quite a while.' Rod Liddle, Sunday Times
The opening of the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830 marked the beginning of the railways' vital role in changing the face of Britain. "Fire and Steam" celebrates the vision and determination of the ambitious Victorian pioneers who developed this revolutionary transport system and the navvies who cut through the land to enable a countrywide network to emerge.From the early days of steam to electrification, via the railways' magnificent contribution in two world wars, the chequered history of British Rail, and the buoyant future of the train, "Fire and Steam" examines the social and economical importance of the railway and how it helped to form the Britain of today.
`Christian Wolmar brings the era of railway mania alive: both the imagination and the daring that made it possible.' David Dimbleby
`A wonderful account of how our railways came to be.' Jon Snow
'A lively new history of the world's oldest railway system... Fire and Steam tells a rollicking tale.' Michael Binyon, The Times
Author Biography
Christian Wolmar is a writer and broadcaster. He writes regularly for the Independent and Evening Standard, and appears frequently on TV and radio. His previous books include the widely acclaimed The Subterranean Railway, a history of the London underground and On the Wrong Line, an account of rail privatization.
