Fire and Steam: A New History of the Railways in Britain

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Now in paperback, Fire and Steam tells the dramatic story of the people and events that shaped the world s first railway network, one of the most impressive engineering achievements in history 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 t Read Fire and Steam: A New History of the Railways in Britain Author Christian Wolmar – kino-fada.fr Few inventions didto change life in Britain than the railways Since the establishment of the first steam powered lines in the early 19th century, they demolished locality, lowered the cost of goods, and made cheap travel a reality for millions of Britons Yet as Christian Wolmar shows, this transformation was hardly a smooth one, shaped first by numerous growing pains and then the vagaries of government policy This history, and its role in shaping Britain s railw...Christian Wolmar has branched out from journalism with a transport specialisation into producing topical books about the British railway system His excellent and well received Subterranean Railway about the history of London s underground opened up a new genre It emerged that there was a steady market for good general histories of things rail This book was the first in a series of follow ups that have covered the United States, the role of rail at war and the latest on the trans Siberian Rail Christian Wolmar has branched out from journalism with a transport specialisation into producing topical books about the British railway system His excellent and well received Subterranean Railway about the history of London s underground opened up a new genre It emerged that there was a steady market for good general histories of things rail This book was the first in a series of follow ups that have covered the United States, the role of rail at war and the latest on the trans Siberian Railway Fire and Steam takes a birds eye view of the development of railways in Britain This is a fascinating history not only for those with a romantic or obsessive history of railways but also for anyone interested in how this vital technology has changed the world It is a narrative history, so probably doesn t include the level of specialist empirical content desired by those trying to understand this key component of the so ...I wanted an account of the business, political, and social impact of railways in the UK I knew the UK had a complex relationship with transport companies and the boom and bust cycle they went through And of course I ve been a customer of the UK railways I m not a trainspotter and I really don t care at all about the technical details of engines, tracks, etc as much as the impact they had This book delivers on that and it s not so long that you will gouge your eyes out I haven t read any oth I wanted an account of the business, political, and social impact of railways in the UK I knew the UK had a complex relationship with transport companies and the boom and bust cycle they went through And of course I ve been a customer of the UK railways I m not a trainspotter and I really don t care at all about the technical details of engines, tracks, etc as much as the impact they had This book delivers on that and it s not so long that you will gouge your eyes out I haven t read any other books on any specific periods and this was an excellent primer The business details and the varying degrees of government involvement are fascinating Given I work in technology it s very useful to think about how the tech investment bubble of its day was dealt with and how the government and industry shaped society and the national transport policy though they apparently did not really consider themselves to be doing anything of the sort through the 19...A great book on the development of the British railway system and its impact on Britain Wolmar looks at the drivers of development, the impact on the countryside with towns being made and broken by the choice of rail routes, and the social impact of affordable travel for a significant proportion of the population He also details the love hate relationship between governments and railways and the inability of politicians to de...As Rail history books go this isn t bad and there are some things I learnt from this BUT there are better books out there Simon Bradley The Railways Sadly the last chapter was less history but rather a diatribe against rail privitisation Wolmer is left wing and that shows in his assesment...It took me an age to finish this but it s no reflection on the book It s a comprehensive and glorious history.It is always quite refreshing to read an author whose enthusiasm for his subject knows no bounds Christian Wolmar is one of the few writers about transport who can make the subject accessible and interesting while maintaining the attention too of the connoisseur in the field This book tracks this long history of the railways in Britain, from the first attempts at a coal po...I was given this book for Christmas, and could not put it down Not that it is a thriller, but the history of railways in the United Kingdom is a reflection on the social and industrial development and continues to be so There are parallels to the offshore wind industry of today and one can see history repeating itself From Stephenson s first passenger carrying railway, the Liverpool and Manchester, opened in 1830, we see the establishment of a national network and then the railway mania which I was given this book for Christmas, and could not put it down Not that it is a thriller, but the history of railways in the United Kingdom is a reflection on the social and industrial development and continues to be so There are parallels to the offshore wind industry of today and one can see history repeating itself From Stephenson s first passenger carrying railway, the Liverpool and Manchester, opened in 1830, we see the establishment of a national network and then the railway mania which led to many duplicated or superfluous lines The de fragmented private systems lasted almost 100 years The First World War had a devastating effect which led to big four groupings, which lasted a mere 25 years The Second World War led to nationalisati...A very readable account of the history of British railways, from the earliest lines to the Railtrack era Wolmar is clearly very sensitive to criticism about the inevitably difficult choices he has made about what to talk in detail about, but to an interested and only slightly knowledgeable layman, it seems that he h...I eventually reached the end and it is difficult to decide what to record The first third of the book showing the built up of the railways was hard going The story picked up some pace as it reached the First World War and the amalgamation and then depression of the inter war years World War 2 left us in desperate circumstances and the railways were nationalised on for a Tory Government to reduce it to multiple ownership and which has left a chaotic and heavily subsidised service The author i I eventually reached the end and it is difficult to decide what to record The first third of the book showing the built up of the railways was hard going The story picked up some pace as it reached the First World War and the amalgamation and then depression of the inter war years World War 2 left us in desperate circumstances and the railways were nationalised on for a Tory Government to reduce it to multiple ownership and which has ...

Fire and Steam: A New History of the Railways in Britain
  • English
  • 27 October 2017
  • Hardcover
  • 384 pages
  • 1843546299
  • Christian Wolmar
  • Fire and Steam: A New History of the Railways in Britain