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The Railways: Nation, Network and People
Britain’s railways have been a vital part of national life for nearly 200 years. Transforming lives and landscapes, they have left their mark on everything from timekeeping to tourism. As a self-contained world governed by distinctive rules and traditions, the network also exerts a fascination all its own.
From the classical grandeur of Newcastle station to the ceaseless traffic of Clapham Junction, from the mysteries of Brunel’s atmospheric railway to the lost routines of the great marshalling yards, Simon Bradley explores the world of Britain’s railways, the evolution of the trains, and the changing experiences of passengers and workers. The Victorians’ private compartments, railway rugs and footwarmers have made way for air-conditioned carriages with airline-type seating, but the railways remain a giant and diverse anthology of structures from every period, and parts of the system are the oldest in the world.
Using fresh research, keen observation and a wealth of cultural references, Bradley weaves from this network a remarkable story of technological achievement, of architecture and engineering, of shifting social classes and gender relations, of safety and crime, of tourism and the changing world of work. "The Railways" shows us that to travel through Britain by train is to journey through time as well as space.
From the classical grandeur of Newcastle station to the ceaseless traffic of Clapham Junction, from the mysteries of Brunel’s atmospheric railway to the lost routines of the great marshalling yards, Simon Bradley explores the world of Britain’s railways, the evolution of the trains, and the changing experiences of passengers and workers. The Victorians’ private compartments, railway rugs and footwarmers have made way for air-conditioned carriages with airline-type seating, but the railways remain a giant and diverse anthology of structures from every period, and parts of the system are the oldest in the world.
Using fresh research, keen observation and a wealth of cultural references, Bradley weaves from this network a remarkable story of technological achievement, of architecture and engineering, of shifting social classes and gender relations, of safety and crime, of tourism and the changing world of work. "The Railways" shows us that to travel through Britain by train is to journey through time as well as space.
645 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2015
83 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 5, 2015
BOTW
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06qhlhxDescription: A magnificent account of Britain's railways and how track and carriage united a nation.
This series of readings includes an exploration of many aspects of the railway revolution, such as the challenges of 'railway time', the nuances of first, second and third class, the dificulties of lighting and heating, passenger comfort, what to eat when travelling and the history of refreshment stops and the commercial opportunities they brought - including the establishment of W.H.Smith and Son, who became the nation's first high street bookstore. Architecture and engineering are also covered, alongside the impact on social classes and gender.
Passengers may have a love-hate relationship with our railways, but few of us know much about the journey taken to get to where we are now.
"Simon Bradley's The Railways is magisterial. It's both authoritative and absorbing. A first class journey." Michael Palin.
Episode 1: The coming of the trains shunted our vocabulary onto new tracks, and also did some odd things to time.2/5: The nuances of the classes - the difference a seat makes.3/5: The great sweep of social and economic change initiated by the railways meant that not only could we now move faster, but things were different when we stopped. 4/5: The railways altered the shape and character of the landscape, as well as giving us access to all corners of the country. Feats of engineering created bridges that have stood the test of time.5/5: The enduring appeal of the railways - enthusiasts are so much more than just trainspotters. And what do trainspotters do anyway? Reader: Stephen Tompkinson
November 22, 2015
I enjoyed this book. It is aimed at the general reader with an interest in railways but not anything excessive with regards to trainspotting. Simon Bradley writes entertainingly about the growth of railways in Britain and their effect on the life and times of the people. He traces the effects of railway growth on society, the economy, the landscape and pretty well anything else you can think of. He has cited a very wide range of sources and writers on the influence and effect of railways on life.
December 4, 2015
From BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week:
A magnificent account of Britain's railways and how track and carriage united a nation.
This series of readings includes an exploration of many aspects of the railway revolution, such as the challenges of 'railway time', the nuances of first, second and third class, the dificulties of lighting and heating, passenger comfort, what to eat when travelling and the history of refreshment stops and the commercial opportunities they brought - including the establishment of W.H.Smith and Son, who became the nation's first high street bookstore. Architecture and engineering are also covered, alongside the impact on social classes and gender.
Passengers may have a love-hate relationship with our railways, but few of us know much about the journey taken to get to where we are now.
"Simon Bradley's The Railways is magisterial. It's both authoritative and absorbing. A first class journey." Michael Palin
Episode 1: The coming of the trains shunted our vocabulary onto new tracks, and also did some odd things to time.
Reader: Stephen Tompkinson
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06qhlhx
A magnificent account of Britain's railways and how track and carriage united a nation.
This series of readings includes an exploration of many aspects of the railway revolution, such as the challenges of 'railway time', the nuances of first, second and third class, the dificulties of lighting and heating, passenger comfort, what to eat when travelling and the history of refreshment stops and the commercial opportunities they brought - including the establishment of W.H.Smith and Son, who became the nation's first high street bookstore. Architecture and engineering are also covered, alongside the impact on social classes and gender.
Passengers may have a love-hate relationship with our railways, but few of us know much about the journey taken to get to where we are now.
"Simon Bradley's The Railways is magisterial. It's both authoritative and absorbing. A first class journey." Michael Palin
Episode 1: The coming of the trains shunted our vocabulary onto new tracks, and also did some odd things to time.
Reader: Stephen Tompkinson
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06qhlhx
October 19, 2019
A well written review of the impact of the railways on just about any aspect of British society you could think of. Highly referenced, from the great and the good (literary sources abound, not least Charles Dickens) down to the experiences of 'mere' employees.
The book takes the year 1862 as its base point and explores developments before and after this point, although not in any real chronological sense. The book is further split between the first section on the trains and their effect on mainly society, and the infrastructure and its effects on the economy.
It's all light hearted stuff, and even the section on the final chapter dealing with trainspotters manages to avoid any overt comedic attempts (although the reference to the seminal Viz brought a wry smile.
It's just a bit disjointed for a 5*, but good for a mid 4. Enjoy the nostalgia.
The book takes the year 1862 as its base point and explores developments before and after this point, although not in any real chronological sense. The book is further split between the first section on the trains and their effect on mainly society, and the infrastructure and its effects on the economy.
It's all light hearted stuff, and even the section on the final chapter dealing with trainspotters manages to avoid any overt comedic attempts (although the reference to the seminal Viz brought a wry smile.
It's just a bit disjointed for a 5*, but good for a mid 4. Enjoy the nostalgia.
June 14, 2025
Mostly a reasonably coherent weaving together of primary source quotes than the analysis or narrative I was expecting... but it's really interesting all the same
May 16, 2024
An excellent social history, full of interesting facts . Well worth reading.
August 13, 2024
As Michael Palin said this book is Magisterial. What looks like a heavy read was full of the most interesting stories and facts about the railways and the people who built, worked, travelled and love rail travel.
I was sad when it came to an end.
I was sad when it came to an end.
January 14, 2019
Engrossing social history of railways. Brunel to Beeching to BR...
November 21, 2015
Good in parts but much to long and with many parts that would only be really interesting to railway fanatics.
June 21, 2020
The author has pulled off bit of a masterstroke here - writing a comprehensive, engaging and highly informative history of the railways of Britain that will appeal to a wide audience. As someone with a lifelong interest in the subject, and a railway professional of over 25 years, I'm a demanding audience for this sort of book, but I found it absolutely superb, and despite it being very long, I was able to plough through big chunks at a time.
To make the book appealing to a wide audience, the author treats the subject by dividing it up thematically rather than chronologically. We take a railway journey in 1862, with detailed descriptions of railway carriages and stations, and how and why they subsequently changed to resemble the ones we see today. We look at the influences the railway had on the landscape, trade, culture, and even time - Greenwich Mean Time was agreed upon and standardised across the country to make accurate timetabling possible. The author also touches upon railway architecture, design, management and publicity, and finishes up with a fine chapter on that most eccentric of creatures, the railway enthusiast. He makes plentiful references to books, magazine articles, authors, films, records and a whole heap of other material that the interested reader can delve into to explore the subject further.
The information contained within wasn't new to me in most cases, although plenty of fascinating facts were revealed, with a few surprises here and there. It's possible for books like this to get very dry and dusty, but the author keeps everything fresh and lively throughout, writing with a humour and passion that is often sorely missing from railway writing.
I think your appreciation of this book will vary, depending on how much interest and knowledge you have about railways in the first place, but it's very effectively pitched for a very wide range of readers. I spotted one or two factual errors, but they were very minor. If you want oodles of facts and figures, you might be disappointed, but if you want railway history with a friendly human face on it, you'll enjoy this comprehensive book immensely.
To make the book appealing to a wide audience, the author treats the subject by dividing it up thematically rather than chronologically. We take a railway journey in 1862, with detailed descriptions of railway carriages and stations, and how and why they subsequently changed to resemble the ones we see today. We look at the influences the railway had on the landscape, trade, culture, and even time - Greenwich Mean Time was agreed upon and standardised across the country to make accurate timetabling possible. The author also touches upon railway architecture, design, management and publicity, and finishes up with a fine chapter on that most eccentric of creatures, the railway enthusiast. He makes plentiful references to books, magazine articles, authors, films, records and a whole heap of other material that the interested reader can delve into to explore the subject further.
The information contained within wasn't new to me in most cases, although plenty of fascinating facts were revealed, with a few surprises here and there. It's possible for books like this to get very dry and dusty, but the author keeps everything fresh and lively throughout, writing with a humour and passion that is often sorely missing from railway writing.
I think your appreciation of this book will vary, depending on how much interest and knowledge you have about railways in the first place, but it's very effectively pitched for a very wide range of readers. I spotted one or two factual errors, but they were very minor. If you want oodles of facts and figures, you might be disappointed, but if you want railway history with a friendly human face on it, you'll enjoy this comprehensive book immensely.
January 18, 2020
At 550 pages (plus another 100 or so of bibliography, notes and index) this history of the railways in Britain may not seem like an enticing read for the dark days of January. It had sat on my shelves for a couple of years waiting to be read but I am so glad that I finally got round to tackling it. It turned out to be an absolute delight. It's a cultural and social history rather than a technical one, focusing on the impact that the railway age had on people - passengers, employees, managers, owners and the wider society. Simon Bradley writes beautifully and with verve; there's not a single dull moment, or passages bogged down in technical exposition. Instead, his narrative is filled with the personal experiences of hundreds of people, their voices coming to us from the vast number of original sources underpinning the book. There is so much to admire and enjoy about The Railways, but perhaps one of my favourite sections is the final chapter, 'Enthusiasm' which focuses on railway-related hobbies: train spotting, memorabilia collecting, railway modelling and heritage railways, all of which he treats with respect and understanding for their cultural, intellectual or technical value.
March 2, 2020
I have always been fascinated by the history of the railroad, and had been hoping to find a book that would tell the story of the “iron horse” from its very beginnings. Luckily enough I ran across Simon Bradley’ master piece at a W.H. Smiths (how appropriate I now think) at Heathrow Airport.
Although limited to the history of British railways, it is a meticulously researched and beautifully written book, that surprisingly addresses in detail almost anything you can imagine as related to trains throughout the ages. When you think there isn’t another topic that the author can cover, just wait for the next chapter! From the design and characteristics of engines and carriages over the ages on the different lines, to stations, track laying and related works, signage, train-related hobbies, ticketing, etc., everything is covered!
This book is a true joy to read. Although it took me close to three years to finish reading it, this had more to do with the small type and other reading habits than the quality of the book, which is excellent!
Although limited to the history of British railways, it is a meticulously researched and beautifully written book, that surprisingly addresses in detail almost anything you can imagine as related to trains throughout the ages. When you think there isn’t another topic that the author can cover, just wait for the next chapter! From the design and characteristics of engines and carriages over the ages on the different lines, to stations, track laying and related works, signage, train-related hobbies, ticketing, etc., everything is covered!
This book is a true joy to read. Although it took me close to three years to finish reading it, this had more to do with the small type and other reading habits than the quality of the book, which is excellent!
May 20, 2017
This is one of the books I was reading for my Downton Abbey based interests. I haven't gotten out of the first episode of the first season yet. I wanted to learn about the English telegraph system, labor issues, and, of course, the railroads. So, part of my journey was reading this book. It is a very thorough account of English railway history. It does cover more time than I was interested in but any student of social history in England will find this fascinating and useful. He brings in a lot of sources that promise more information for me to study.
March 25, 2018
There were many times when I nearly gave up on this book only to stumble across an intriguing fact slightly before the decision point. I consider myself a fast reader so the fact that it has taken me 3 months to get through it indicates how heavy going I found it.
The author tries to cover his subject matter from all angles and for the most part succeeds. I think an all encompassing book suffers because some of its subjects are more interesting than others and there are a lot of subjects in this book to fall somewhere on the spectrum of interest from wow to zzzzz
The author tries to cover his subject matter from all angles and for the most part succeeds. I think an all encompassing book suffers because some of its subjects are more interesting than others and there are a lot of subjects in this book to fall somewhere on the spectrum of interest from wow to zzzzz
February 10, 2020
Authoritative and readable, the most engaging non-fiction book I have read for a long time. A master-work covering the impact of the development of the railways on the landscape, politics, society and so many other things. Such a change to read something that didn't major on inserting as many historical facts, or engaging anecdotes, as possible and who would have thought about the impact of the railways on the development of such diverse subjects as product branding and professional management techniques. Recommended to all, not just railway or history enthusiasts.
November 30, 2019
Encyclopediac coverage
Simon Bradley has written an exhaustive study of the British railway system.The detail on occasion can be overwhelming, but it is a truly fascinating read. He is an architectural historian, so this topic is covered with great expertise. But that is only one of his topics: the facets of the subject are astonishing. This is a book for the social historian as well as the student of railways.
Simon Bradley has written an exhaustive study of the British railway system.The detail on occasion can be overwhelming, but it is a truly fascinating read. He is an architectural historian, so this topic is covered with great expertise. But that is only one of his topics: the facets of the subject are astonishing. This is a book for the social historian as well as the student of railways.
February 14, 2020
Enjoyable and informative
I really found this book to be an excellent read. The author does not preach or seek to grind axes but simply recounts the history of railways in the UK from their first emergence to the present day. Along the way many themes and cultures are identified but all in a thoroughly sympathetic but appreciative way by an author who clearly simply loves railways as so many of us do. I loved this book.
I really found this book to be an excellent read. The author does not preach or seek to grind axes but simply recounts the history of railways in the UK from their first emergence to the present day. Along the way many themes and cultures are identified but all in a thoroughly sympathetic but appreciative way by an author who clearly simply loves railways as so many of us do. I loved this book.
April 29, 2024
Meticulously researched, shot through with a big hearted love of his subject matter, and distinguished by Bradley’s ability to make even the most esoteric aspects of rail transport utterly fascinating, this doorstopper provides a fascinating and well-informed window on a subject too often dismissed as the province of nerds, anoraks and trainspotters. Bradley marshals the story of Britain’s rail networks into a compelling and effortlessly readable work of social history.
October 21, 2024
I have long been a fan of trains and railways and railway architecture and particularly the social history railways create and demonstrate, but have never been able to find a real way in. Information tended to be far too general and basic or far too detailed for me. It was either “trains go on tracks!” or “the class 236777 ran with a bicylinder transformer until 1962” etc. As a woman, I possibly, wanted a less “masc” way in. This book was utterly perfect for me. Not only did it provide absolutely fascinating insights into the cultural context of railways, the way they changed that culture and their own cultures, but it also gave me a great way to start learning about the more technical things so that I feel I have better access to plethora of other material available about trains from enthusiasts. It was also absolutely and totally hilarious. Simon Bradley has a way of pulling out the ridiculous that always treads the line between affection and mockery so respectfully. One of my top ten books ever.
January 4, 2022
Disappointing, but that's probably because I am not that interested in the social aspects of railways in Britain, I am more into technical details. Thus, in two attempts to read this, I didn't get very far as I found it very monotonous from the outset. Consequently, my copy will probably end up in a charity shop somewhere.
August 26, 2017
It's not often I finish a long and sprawling work of nonfiction and feel the same sense of loss that I might with a good novel. This was so well-written, engaging and original that I feel sad to have finished it.
April 4, 2018
Beautifully written. Full of compelling detail
This book is truly excellent. Suitable for train fans and the rest of us alike. It is meticulously researched and gives a detailed insight into the transport development that changed the World.
This book is truly excellent. Suitable for train fans and the rest of us alike. It is meticulously researched and gives a detailed insight into the transport development that changed the World.
December 24, 2018
Excellent look at Railways over the years and detailed aspects of the social impact they have had. Certain areas will drag for the general reader but often this will then be illuminated back to life by something more of interest.
Great read
Great read
August 28, 2019
A large tome about the social history of the railways in the United Kingdom in all its aspects. The book is well written and the author manages to find some unusual or quirky stories about the railways which played such a vital role in the national life.
June 25, 2020
I shall never get bored on a train again with so much to muse on outside and inside the carriage. What hadn't occurred to me was how fundamental the railways development has been to much of modern life.
July 27, 2021
Overly informative. This became exhausting reading, even though the transformative impact of the railways is eyeopening. I read the ebook version - presumably the hard copy has the added benefit of good illustrations.
March 21, 2022
If you love trains, this detailed history of railways in the UK is sure to please. A comprehensive account of how trains changed many facets of British society. Fascinating from a sociological point of view.
February 19, 2018
Near perfect
A useful addition to anyone's library of railway books. More photos and maps would have made this perfect. A moving history of a curiously still present railway age.
A useful addition to anyone's library of railway books. More photos and maps would have made this perfect. A moving history of a curiously still present railway age.
May 31, 2018
Heavy going in parts and rather long. Some interesting anecdotes. But the departure from the more usual linear timeline left the impression of dancing around the place.
July 3, 2018
One of the best all aspect railway books out there. Approachable, detailed and seemingly well balanced.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews