Underground: How the Tube Shaped London

by David Bownes, Oliver Green, Sam Mullins

In 2013 London Underground, the world's first underground railway, marks its 150th anniversary. This new, lavishly illustrated history is the official anniversary publication of the London Underground, drawing on previously unseen sources and images to celebrate the crucial role of the tube in the creation and everyday life of modern London.

London Underground experts David Bownes, Oliver Green and Sam Mullins have a lifelong passion for the city and the Tube. In London Underground 150 they blend social history with the story of the pioneering engineers, designers, and social reformers who created the system, reflecting on the problems of keeping a fast growing city on the move. From providing access to the business heart of the Victorian City of London to the leisure delights of the Edwardian West End, through the growth of the suburbs and the vital role of the Underground as shelter during the Blitz, the story continues through urban regeneration to the challenge of upgrading the original network to meet the needs of the 21st century. With a cast of characters encompassing entrepreneurs, architects, politicians and passengers, this is the story of how the world beneath our feet made history.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, London, Travel

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2012

About the author

David Bownes was formerly head of collections at the London Transport Museum and assistant director (collections) at the National Army Museum.

Reviews

[Adam Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent illustrated history of the development of the London Underground to mark its 150 year anniversary. It shows how the growth of the, at some times chaotic and illogical spread of the underground has shaped the London we have today. As with all the development projects on the underground it optimistically finishes with the promise that CrossRail will be complete in 2018. But as Dennis Tunnicliffe, MD of London Underground appointed in 1998 is quoted 'Delay is only a concept in prospect. It is not a concept in retrospect. When they're using the railway, nobody will remember the delay'.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING. I'm a huge Tube nerd and this book was fantastic.

[Terry Renouf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive. Well illustrated. Story of Tubevto 2012.

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Underground: How the Tube Shaped London is an amazing book about what is probably the best known public transport system in the world, the London Underground (aka the ‘Tube’). It is a fascinating history of the first 150 years of the underground (and some overground) trains that have run through London, day in and day out during both war and peacetime. David Bownes, Oliver Green and Sam Mullins should be commended on making this book a fascinating and interesting read. It’s not just for trainspotters or tube buffs, but provides an insight into how London has grown alongside the Tube. I believe it should be recommended reading for all politicians and transport planners – other cities are making fundamental errors when it comes to public transport spending and infrastructure, yet the Underground has made those mistakes (sometimes decades ago) and learned from the problem. Think of extending rail lines into the suburbs – the Underground was expanding train routes before the houses were built. They even had a magazine (Metroland) to tell prospective homebuyers where to go for new housing and where the estates were in relation to the Tube and bus network. Oh, and this was in the 1930s. Public-private partnership? The Tube’s done that and learned.

The book is divided into six chapters, starting from the earliest days when railways were new and privately owned. The Underground railway was built using the ‘cut and cover’ method (cut a deep trench, then build the tunnel and put the soil back over) before tunnelling techniques were developed in the late 1800s. Some of those techniques are still used today in slightly modified format, such as in the development of Crossrail, the latest addition to London’s trains. The story extends up to the early days of Crossrail, but there’s not a lot of detail on it understandably. (I’d recommend Crossrail’s website, where you can see a lot about the tunnelling machines). There is also a lot of detail about the platforms, stations and the different eras – I love how so much effort was put into the design and building of the suburban stations in particular. The book also discusses how Londoners used Tube stations as bomb shelters during World War II (did you know initially access to stations was refused?). It also doesn’t shy away from the decline of the system during the 1970s and 1980s – there are some fascinating photos included not only for this section but all chapters of the book.

What really amazed me about Underground: How the Tube Shaped London is how progressive the railways were. Steam engines being used underground was cause for complaint of fumes, so the trains went electric, starting in 1905. Electronic ticket machines were introduced alongside electronic ticketing barriers in the 1960s. In comparison, the city where I live changed to electric trains in the late 1980s and electronic ticketing in the 1990s! Escalators were another new tool introduced early by the Underground (including the spiral escalator, which was said to induce giddiness and never made it to a second build).

I think this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in London’s history, transport or social history. It’s an excellent book, celebrating many great achievements, but not shying away from the dark events either.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Bookshire Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know a lot about the London Underground, this book is for you. Edited by three men who were all involved in the Tube in various ways, it is a book full of knowledge and deep affection for the oldest Underground railway in the world. Although packed with dates and names, it is by no means dry. You will be entertained, amazed and fascinated by the ups and downs of the Underground history. Loads of beautiful photographs and reproductions bring the history alive. So, mind the gap and hop in!

[Mike Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

a compehensive history told in an engaging narrative

http://0651frombrighton.blogspot.co.u...

[Ipswichblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Tube