‘Andrew Martin is a railway wizard’ Telegraph
‘Leaves you with renewed confidence that trains can still be the most civilised way to travel’ Financial Times
Throughout the twentieth century, the seaside service posters of Britain’s railways promised fresh air and frivolity to millions of urban dwellers with the phrase: ‘To the sea by train’. A staple of modern British life, the seaside getaway was intertwined with the train, in whose compartments holidaymakers were shunted from smog-choked cities to sandy coves.
With his signature wit and anecdotal style, Andrew Martin captures an era defined by its railways: from the development of Brighton and Scarborough into pleasure resorts, and the introduction of bank holidays and two-day weekends, to the advent of cheap flights and the British coast’s subsequent decline. Humorous and evocative, To the Sea by Train takes a charming tour through Britain’s most beloved pastime.
Over de auteur
Andrew Martin is a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction books, some with a railway theme. His previous railway books for Profile are Underground, Overground, Night Trains, Belles & Whistles and Steam Trains Today. He is also the author of Seats of London, about the seat coverings (or moquette) on London Tubes and buses. Powder Smoke, the tenth title in Andrew’s award-winning series of novels featuring the railway policeman, Jim Stringer, was published recently in paperback. (Other titles in this series include The Necropolis Railway, Death on a Branch Line, The Last Train to Scarborough.) Andrew’s memoir, Yorkshire – There and Back, is out now in hardback. His website is at jimstringernovels.com.