Fire & Steam

Overview

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 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 country-wide network to emerge. The rise of the steam train allowed goods and people to circulate around Britain as never before, stimulating the growth of towns and industry, as well many of the facets of modern life, from fish and chips to professional football. From the early days of steam to electrification, via the railways’ magnificent contribution in two world wars, the checkered 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.

Reviews

A lively new history of the world’s oldest railway system… Fire and Steam tells a rollicking tale.' Michael Binyon, The Times 'Expertly explored and explicated… A beautifully written, detailed (but never anoraky) history of two centuries of life on the iron road.' Judith Flanders, Daily Telegraph 'A marvellously informative, entertaining and rightly partisan book… [Fire and Steam] is a book that has given me more pleasure than any I can remember in quite a while.' Rod Liddle, The Sunday 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.