Underground to Everywhere: London's Underground Railway in the Life of the Capital

by Stephen Halliday

In 1900 an American financier called Charles Tyson Yerkes was placed in charge of London's underground railways, which had been in service since 1863 and were, even then, showing signs of their age. Over the next five years he applied his business methods - which he described as 'Buy up old junk, fix it up a little and unload it upon other fellows' - to the construction of much of the capital's deep-level tube system. Yerkes was one of many colourful characters who gave London its underground railway system. But the London Underground is more than a railway. In the twentieth century, under the enlightened management of Frank Pick, the Underground was responsible for some striking developments in industrial design. Bauhaus, Cubist and other innovative ideas were applied to station architecture, advertising posters and seat covers. The work of artists such as Graham Sutherland, Len Deighton and Lucie Attwell was exposed to large audiences for the first time, as was that icon of industrial design, Harry Beck's diagrammatic map of the Underground network. Making use of extensive research in London's archives, Stephen Halliday shows how these pioneers struggled with the problem that vexes the Underground to this day. London undoubtedly needs it but has never really decided who should pay for it. Passengers or taxpayers? Public or private finance? Is it a profit-making enterprise or a social service? The book places this unanswered question in its historical context as, in the twenty-first century, the debate turns in a new direction, once again headed by an American under the direction of London's first elected mayor.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, London, Trains

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Presents a lot of information, but as is often a complaint of mine (maybe it's just me?) a lot of it is presented in a pretty sterile uninteresting way. The early days of the underground had a lot of characters involved, and they don't seem to come across. Spends a lot of time from the founding through the wars, and then comparatively little on the following decades. Worth a read for people really interested in public transit, but not really the layperson.

[Bookshire Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tak ta mi dala zabrat. Ne, že by byla špatně napsaná, jen je tak plná informací :)

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle of Stephen Halliday’s book is deceptive, as it is less a social history of the London Underground than an overview of the development and management of the system. Amid copious illustrations, Halliday recounts its history from the development of the first lines in mid-Victorian Britain to the chronic challenges it faced at the end of the twentieth century. What emerges is a tale of ambitious schemes, extravagant promises, and a near-complete lack of coordination in its development. Originating as a series of private for-profit lines, the separate routes were consolidated into a single system by the mid-1930s.

Halliday presents the system’s development in a clear and straightforward manner, though one that feels too cursory for the intricacies involved. Much of the text is supplemented with information panels that address sub-topics and summarize particulars about the individual lines; these are useful but often repeat information from the main text. More beneficial are the numerous pictures, including several color plates. These demonstrate the visual heritage of the Underground, both in architecture and the many posters created over the decades designed to advertise its services. They help to make the book a useful source for anyone seeking to learn about the “Tube,” though one that offers only the most basic of introductions to the history of this enduring London institution.

[Adam Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and very entertaining history of the construction and development of London Underground from its beginnings in the mid 19th Century up to 2001 when the book was published. The book goes up to the point of the failed court case by the late Bob Kiley and Ken Livingstone against the government's part privatisation. There are lots of contemporary extracts from the Railway Times and others, some of which make hilarious reading today such as the comment on the dreadful state of affairs when the newly opened City and South London railway decided that there would be only one class of ticket. 'We have scarcely been educated up to that condition of social equality when lords and ladies will be content to ride side by side with Billingsgate "fish fags" and Smithfield butchers'. Marvellous.

[Megan ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am a nerd for the london underground - i love it and i find the history of it so interesting
however this book was fairly dry, even if i did find that it had a lot of information.

[Thor · Rating 4 out of 5]

With an interesting progression from slightly more dry and distant, the author gets more and more comfortable in highlighting issues and dramatical events in the history surrounding what became the underground we know today.

Furthermore, it's a read that spikes genuine curiosity over how the tube is today, and armed with all the details available here one will gain a much higher appreciation reading into it.

(Note that the PPP failed drastically, if you wondered about that after reading the last chapter.)

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting history of London's underground network. Full of rogue financial deals, near bankruptcies and all the intrigue that means an underground transport system as vast as London's could never be attempted today.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I surprised myself on how much I enjoyed this book. It started off dry and took awhile to get into its stride. Despite this it was fascinating to read about the set of circumstances that have so influenced a city I spend so much time in.

[Judith Rich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but found it just a bit dull.

[Matt Chambers]

Excellent history of the underground

This is a well written book covering the entire history of the Underground. Each chapter focuses on a different topic and is covered in a good level of detail.

I would have liked to see a bit more on Morgan and his proposed tube lines. Also, the Northern Heights plan is barely covered but these are minor points.

It is a good and comprehensive history of the Underground.