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Belles and Whistles
Journeys Through Time on Britain's Trains
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Check link for latest rating. ( 128 ratings, 25 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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The bestselling author of Underground, Overground recaptures the glamour of a lost age of rail travel and trains by travelling Britain's most famous train journeys.
The bestselling author of Underground, Overground recaptures the glamour of a lost age of rail travel and trains by travelling Britain's most famous train journeys - now available in paperback
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Description
In the heroic days of rail travel, you could dine on kippers and champagne aboard the Brighton Belle; smoke a post-prandial cigar as the Golden Arrow closed in on Paris, or be shaved by the Flying Scotsman's on-board barber. Everyone from schoolboys to socialites knew of these glamorous 'named trains' and aspired to ride aboard them.
In Belles and Whistles, Andrew Martin recreates these famous train journeys by travelling aboard their nearest modern day equivalents. Sometimes their names have survived, even if only as a footnote on a timetable leaflet, but what has usually—if not always—disappeared is the extravagance and luxury. As Martin explains how we got from there to here, evocations of the Golden Age contrast with the starker modern reality: from monogrammed cutlery to stirring sticks, from silence on trains to tannoy announcements, from compartments to airline seating. For those who wonder whatever happened to porters, dining cars, mellow lighting, timetables, luggage in advance, trunk murders, the answers are all here.
Martin's five journeys add up to an idiosyncratic history of Britain's railways, combining humour, historical anecdote and reportage from the present and romantic evocations of the past.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Belles and Whistles by Andrew Martin is celebrated for its entertaining and lively narrative, offering a blend of wit and historical insight as the author takes readers on a railway journey. The book contrasts the romantic notions of train travel with modern realities, using Martin's knowledgeable and anecdotal style to engage and amuse readers, reaffirming the charm and sophistication of train travel.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781781252130
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 02 July 2015
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Profile Books Ltd
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 205g
Pages: 288
About the Author
Andrew Martin is a journalist and author. His previous book for Profile, Underground, Overground[9781846684784], was a history of the London Underground. He has written for the Evening Standard, Sunday Times, Independent on Sunday, Daily Telegraph and New Statesman among others. His 'Jim Stringer' series of novels based around railways are published by Faber.
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