Pre-order
1
of
1
Fast Track
Brief Description
Fast Track provides a global history of high-speed rail from the railways' "wisest, most detailed historian" (The Observer). Sleek, comfortable, accessible, and sustainable, high-speed rail is the future. Japan's Bullet Train has become a global icon. The French TGV established a template that soon followed across...
Read More
Format: Hardback
$8500
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Pre-order
Releases
27th
October 2026
(Approx. Date)
Pre-order "Fast Track" now to secure your copy from our first shipment
Found a better price? Request a price match
Fast Track
$8500
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Fast Track provides a global history of high-speed rail from the railways' "wisest, most detailed historian" (The Observer).
Sleek, comfortable, accessible, and sustainable, high-speed rail is the future. Japan's Bullet Train has become a global icon. The French TGV established a template that soon followed across Europe. However, China has become the world leader. With lines built or planned in over twenty countries, high-speed rail has changed the world and, faced with the environmental cost of cars and air travel, might help save it. Yet, two pioneering railway countries—the US and UK—have been left behind in the race.
Christian Wolmar, our leading railway writer, explores the irresistible global rise of high-speed rail, a story of big personalities, bold decisions, cutting-edge technology, and soaring ambition.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780241775516
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 23 July 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Michael Joseph Ltd
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 37.0mm
Width: 165.0mm
Height: 242.0mm
Weight: 668g
Pages: 400
About the Author
Acknowledged as one of the UK's leading commentators on transport matters, Christian Wolmar is an award-winning writer and broadcaster specializing in transport, and the author of a series of books on railway history. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, regularly appears on TV and radio, and writes for a wide variety of publications including The Times, The Guardian, The Oldie, and Public Finance. His books include The Great British Railway Disaster (1997), Stagecoach (1999), Down the Tube (2002), The Subterranean Railway (2004), Broken Rails (2001, updated 2005), On the Wrong Line (2005), Fire and Steam (2009), Blood, Iron and Gold (2009), Engines of War (2010), The Great Railway Revolution (2013), and Railways and The Raj (2017). He has been described as \"our most eminent transport journalist\" by The Spectator and \"the greatest expert on British trains\" by The Guardian.
Also by Christian Wolmar
View all-
Fire and Steam
A new and updated edition of the classic history of the British railway, published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of train travel in 2025. The opening of the pioneering Stockton and Darlington railway, the world's first passenger line, in 1825 marked the beginning of the railways' vital role in changing the face of Britain. Fire and Steam celebrates the...Hardback$5999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Liberation Line
Highly original Simon Heffer, Telegraph Masterful... A gripping tale Giles Milton They certainly were not soldiers, yet they suddenly found themselves in uniform, in a foreign land. But, as locomotive drivers, track-workers, conductors, porters, signalmen and engine cleaners, they knew how to run trains. And their job was to bring them back to life. The Liberation Line tells the thrilling...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Rise of the Railway
A first-class journey through the history of railways From the first steam trains to the high-speed bullet trains of today, The Rise of the Railway tells the hidden stories of railway history - the inspired engineering, technical ingenuity, and sheer determination that forged the world's railways. Award-winning writer and broadcaster Christian Wolmar reveals how the railways were built not just...Hardback$7500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
To the Edge of the World
Christian Wolmar expertly tells the story of the Trans-Siberian railway from its conception and construction under Tsar Alexander III, to the northern extension ordered by Brezhnev and its current success as a vital artery. He also explores the crucial role the line played in both the Russian Civil War—Trotsky famously used an armoured carriage as his command post—and the Second...Paperback$4500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Liberation Line
Highly original Simon Heffer, Telegraph Masterful... A gripping tale Giles Milton They certainly were not soldiers, yet they suddenly found themselves in uniform, in a foreign land. But, as locomotive drivers, track-workers, conductors, porters, signalmen, and engine cleaners, they knew how to run trains. And their job was to bring them back to life. The Liberation Line tells the thrilling...Paperback$3299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
British Rail
The rise and fall of the state-owned British Rail, from "the greatest expert on British trains" Christian Wolmar. You think you know British Rail. Stale sandwiches, inefficiency, and violent yellow carriages— we haven't looked kindly on the last of our state-owned organisations to be privatised. But through its 50-year lifetime, British Rail transformed our transport system, and for a time...Paperback$3200Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
More from Travel & Adventure
View all-
The Salt Path
The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Lonely Planet Japan
#1 Bestselling guidebook to Japan "Classic. Comprehensive. Crucial." - Library Journal Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to Japan. Discover popular and off the beaten track experiences from visiting Yoshino for Japan's most famous cherry-blossom-viewing festival to sipping sake at a 300-year-old brewery in Niigata, and exploring the...Paperback$4100Elsewhere:$4499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Maintenance: Of Everything
The first in-depth exploration of maintenance and a powerful argument for its civilisational importance from the author of How Buildings Learn and creator of the Whole Earth Catalog. Maintenance is what keeps everything going. It's what keeps life going. Yet it's also easy to shirk or defer until the thing breaks, the system falters, and everything stops. The apparent paradox...Hardback$7999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Abroad in Japan
The hilarious number one bestselling memoir from YouTube sensation Chris Broad, a Brit trying to assimilate into life in Japan as he unravels the wonders and eccentricities of one of the world's most mysterious cultures. When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan, he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Cat's Tales
Once upon a time, the enchanting creature that is the cat infiltrated our lives – and our folklore. Cats have a long association with the supernatural – from being worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt to vilified as witches’ familiars in Europe – and they appear in countless fairy tales throughout history. Every part of the world has its own...Hardback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Penguin Lessons
Now a major film, this is the true story of an unlikely friendship between a flightless bird and a teacher out of his depth. When schoolteacher Tom Michell pulls a penguin from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay, he has no idea what to do. Back at his apartment, Tom cleans him, but upon returning to the beach,...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Rambling Man
THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY "Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
22% offLonely Planet Pocket Lisbon
Lonely Planet's Pocket Lisbon is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life - neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the city's most scenic tram routes, find the best pastéis de nata and discover the winding backstreets of Alfama; all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Lisbon and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Cozy Bookshops: Colouring Book
Cozy Bookshops—your ultimate escape into a world of bookish bliss and mindful relaxation in 46 adorable scenes, from the coziest book nooks. Wander labyrinthine bookshelves, sink into soft armchairs by roaring fireplaces, and lose yourself in snug, atmospheric corners. Escape, relax, and unwind with this colouring book for all skill levels and bring your own personality. The possibilities are endless!...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
22% off
Lonely Planet Pocket Porto
Lonely Planet's Pocket Porto is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the historic Se cathedral, marvel at the stunning Palacio da Bolsa, and visit peacocks in Jardim do Palacio de Cristal, all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Porto and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Auto Biography
From one of the world's most popular motor journalists, a highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars. A highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars by Mat Watson, the world's most followed car journalist on social media. Mat Watson knows everything there is to know about cars. In his 25-year career as a motor journalist, he has driven...Hardback$4600Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Brilliant Maps
With a foreword by Tim Harford Which nations have North Korean embassies? Which region has the highest number of death metal bands per capita? How many countries have bigger economies than California? Who drives on the 'wrong' side of the road? And where can you find lions in the wild? Revelatory, thought-provoking and fun, Brilliant Maps is a unique atlas...Paperback$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
