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Dickens and Staplehurst: A Biography of a Rail Crash
The Staplehurst rail crash of June 9th, 1865 which claimed ten lives, might have passed relatively unnoticed but for the presence of a celebrity passenger among the survivors. Charles Dickens, returning from France on the ill-fated boat train from Folkestone to London, was to be profoundly affected by the experience. In a fascinating exploration of the circumstances surrounding the disaster and probing insight into Dickens' personal life, the writer's great-great-grandson, Gerald Dickens, examines his secret relationship with the actress Ellen Ternan and professional motivation in the years either side of the accident. Questions concerning the conduct of the inquest into the crash and apportioning of blame are raised that remain unresolved even today. Striking parallels are drawn with more recent disasters and the signs of wrestling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are evident in the account of Dickens' final years, powerfully reflected in the stirring ghost story The Signalman.
234 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 9, 2023
A comprehensive account (uniquely so, I believe) of the railway accident at Staplehurst that Charles Dickens was involved in five years before his death, which puts the accident into the context both of Dickens' career and of the development of the railway, with the consequences it had on both.
A splendid read it is, too; Gerald Dickens is a great-great-grandson of the man himself, so brings a personal touch to the story, painting an empathic but unsentimental portrait of an author at the height of his career dealing with the breakdown of his marriage whilst managing a potentially scandalous affair. Drawing on his personal connection, Gerald Dickens' account allows for some artistic license in filling out how the author would have been thinking and feeling at different points, even some of the conversations that might have taken place - but then, the author is also drawing on his experience as an actor, allowing himself a similarly vivid approach as he populates the story with other people involved, generating a real sense of tension and dread as the accident draws near with palpable inevitability. What could have been a dull textbook is instead a dramatic account in the tradition to which Charles Dickens himself belonged, and the result is a real page-turner.
That is not to say that it isn't also full of carefully researched detail - it is, and it seems to me as rigorous a source on this incident as any historian could hope for. This is clearly a labour of love, and one that has been put together with a mixture of enthusiasm for and dedication to its subjects - it will appeal to fans of Dickens and railways or indeed to those curious about the Victorian judicial system alike. For the more casual reader, the potted biography of Dickens packs in a lot of information without outstaying its welcome, the necessary details about geography and industry are precise without being earnest, and the book is peppered with well-chosen excerpts from Dickens' writing, adding an appropriate sense of authenticity and atmosphere.
It all makes for an exciting and rather moving read, rounded off with a reprint of The Signalman that gains considerable poignancy in the light of the events detailed in the book.
My only gripe is that writing this good (and, dare I say it, this important) deserves to have been better edited and produced than this; the typos and, in one place, change of font (!) are merely distracting, but more seriously lacking are the visuals: there are evidently plenty of really interesting images to go with this story (including an actual plate photograph of the scene of the accident) and many are reproduced here, but often too small or too pixelated to be of use (I was constantly having to search for images online to get a proper look at them). Would a couple of inserts have been out of the question? Better still, this might have suited a larger format, allowing space for decent reproduction of paintings, photographs and maps.
If Olympia Publishers (or anyone else, for that matter) fancy turning this into a coffee table book I'll be first in the queue for a copy, and it will be no less than a biography of this calibre deserves.
A splendid read it is, too; Gerald Dickens is a great-great-grandson of the man himself, so brings a personal touch to the story, painting an empathic but unsentimental portrait of an author at the height of his career dealing with the breakdown of his marriage whilst managing a potentially scandalous affair. Drawing on his personal connection, Gerald Dickens' account allows for some artistic license in filling out how the author would have been thinking and feeling at different points, even some of the conversations that might have taken place - but then, the author is also drawing on his experience as an actor, allowing himself a similarly vivid approach as he populates the story with other people involved, generating a real sense of tension and dread as the accident draws near with palpable inevitability. What could have been a dull textbook is instead a dramatic account in the tradition to which Charles Dickens himself belonged, and the result is a real page-turner.
That is not to say that it isn't also full of carefully researched detail - it is, and it seems to me as rigorous a source on this incident as any historian could hope for. This is clearly a labour of love, and one that has been put together with a mixture of enthusiasm for and dedication to its subjects - it will appeal to fans of Dickens and railways or indeed to those curious about the Victorian judicial system alike. For the more casual reader, the potted biography of Dickens packs in a lot of information without outstaying its welcome, the necessary details about geography and industry are precise without being earnest, and the book is peppered with well-chosen excerpts from Dickens' writing, adding an appropriate sense of authenticity and atmosphere.
It all makes for an exciting and rather moving read, rounded off with a reprint of The Signalman that gains considerable poignancy in the light of the events detailed in the book.
My only gripe is that writing this good (and, dare I say it, this important) deserves to have been better edited and produced than this; the typos and, in one place, change of font (!) are merely distracting, but more seriously lacking are the visuals: there are evidently plenty of really interesting images to go with this story (including an actual plate photograph of the scene of the accident) and many are reproduced here, but often too small or too pixelated to be of use (I was constantly having to search for images online to get a proper look at them). Would a couple of inserts have been out of the question? Better still, this might have suited a larger format, allowing space for decent reproduction of paintings, photographs and maps.
If Olympia Publishers (or anyone else, for that matter) fancy turning this into a coffee table book I'll be first in the queue for a copy, and it will be no less than a biography of this calibre deserves.
May 20, 2023
Gerald Dickens has written an excellent, well-researched account of the train crash which took the lives of ten people in 1865, and had a profound effect on another of its passengers, Charles Dickens. For more details, I urge you to read James Lark's Goodreads review, which sums up most of my own opinions beautifully. My only other comment would be that the author chose not to provide footnotes or a bibliography. Many sources were referenced casually in the text, but it would have been nice to have something a bit more official.
November 6, 2022
Full of great background material leading up to the Staplehurst rail crash of 9th June 1865, written by a descendant of Charles Dickens. The first section is more of a summary of Dickens life and work. Followed by an account of Dickens' relationship to Paris.
Dickens was with his mistress Ellen Tenan and her mother Frances, travelling back from Paris, via Boulogne then by boat to Folkestone. Appreciate the way that the author has the knack of adding so much detail concerning Dickens life, and the rise of the railways without losing the thread.
The crash is depicted well. Tragically the timetable for emergency repair work over the rail viaduct across the river Beult, missed the fact that the boat train was due. A warning system failed to warn the train driver in time, and the crash resulted, with most of the carriages ending up the river. Some travellers were flung out of windows. Dickens and his companions were in a carriage that managed to stay on the viaduct.
A letter Dickens sent to his friend Thomas Mitton is reproduced in full along with other eyewitness account that he wrote for newspaper publication. Dickens did what he could to assist the injured . There is material about the ten passengers who died and the inquest. The author shows how the incident cast a shadow over the remaining five years of the life of Dickens, showing how he probably suffered from PTSD as a result. Finally Dickens' short story 'No 1 Branchline :The Signalman' -which has now become a classic text for today's Hauntology movement- is reproduced in full.
Really recommend this book.
Dickens was with his mistress Ellen Tenan and her mother Frances, travelling back from Paris, via Boulogne then by boat to Folkestone. Appreciate the way that the author has the knack of adding so much detail concerning Dickens life, and the rise of the railways without losing the thread.
The crash is depicted well. Tragically the timetable for emergency repair work over the rail viaduct across the river Beult, missed the fact that the boat train was due. A warning system failed to warn the train driver in time, and the crash resulted, with most of the carriages ending up the river. Some travellers were flung out of windows. Dickens and his companions were in a carriage that managed to stay on the viaduct.
A letter Dickens sent to his friend Thomas Mitton is reproduced in full along with other eyewitness account that he wrote for newspaper publication. Dickens did what he could to assist the injured . There is material about the ten passengers who died and the inquest. The author shows how the incident cast a shadow over the remaining five years of the life of Dickens, showing how he probably suffered from PTSD as a result. Finally Dickens' short story 'No 1 Branchline :The Signalman' -which has now become a classic text for today's Hauntology movement- is reproduced in full.
Really recommend this book.
May 17, 2024
If you are already a Dickens fan, or have even just read a little about him, you’ll likely have heard something about the 1865 Staplehurst incident, which happened exactly 5 years to the day before Dickens died.
If you are not familiar with Dickens, the first 60 pages or so of this book will give you a good introduction to him and his life, leading up to the main topic of this book.
Either way, after the biography section, the book will give you an incredibly detailed description of the events before and after the train accident, as well as what was going on as it happened, and stories about the people involved, both victims and survivors. Its a fairly short, but very intense, book.
The author, Dickens' great-great grandson, has made a career of retelling his famous relative’s stories, in various forms. For this book, he did intensive research. Reading, talking to people, even going to the scene of the accident, with flowers that he left in memory of the victims, who he also goes into great detail about in the book, telling their stories.
Dickens was very lucky, as were we, his readers, in a way. Except for some small changes, this event could have taken his life. His railroad car was the only one not completely touched by the events of the day, leaving him able to climb down from where his car was hanging and help others, or try to just before they died before his eyes.
If you are not familiar with Dickens, the first 60 pages or so of this book will give you a good introduction to him and his life, leading up to the main topic of this book.
Either way, after the biography section, the book will give you an incredibly detailed description of the events before and after the train accident, as well as what was going on as it happened, and stories about the people involved, both victims and survivors. Its a fairly short, but very intense, book.
The author, Dickens' great-great grandson, has made a career of retelling his famous relative’s stories, in various forms. For this book, he did intensive research. Reading, talking to people, even going to the scene of the accident, with flowers that he left in memory of the victims, who he also goes into great detail about in the book, telling their stories.
Dickens was very lucky, as were we, his readers, in a way. Except for some small changes, this event could have taken his life. His railroad car was the only one not completely touched by the events of the day, leaving him able to climb down from where his car was hanging and help others, or try to just before they died before his eyes.
January 9, 2022
Well-written, comprehensive account of the major railway accident Dickens and his mistress experienced. The high quality of the writing and story-telling doesn’t surprise me as the author has thoroughly soaked in his great-great-grandfather’s writing and has expertly performed several of them for years.
By setting the stage regarding the railway line history, the precipitating repairs, Dickens life and visit to Paris and the aftermath of the accident for those involved, particularly Dickens, this is a thoroughly researched and well-rounded piece of history. I only wish he told of Ellen Ternan’s life after Dickens death.
The creepy short story by Charles Dickens which the author believes to be inspired by Dicken’s PTSD from the Staplehurst accident, “No. 1 Branch Line: The Signalman” is included with an account of another railway accident upon which it is based.
By setting the stage regarding the railway line history, the precipitating repairs, Dickens life and visit to Paris and the aftermath of the accident for those involved, particularly Dickens, this is a thoroughly researched and well-rounded piece of history. I only wish he told of Ellen Ternan’s life after Dickens death.
The creepy short story by Charles Dickens which the author believes to be inspired by Dicken’s PTSD from the Staplehurst accident, “No. 1 Branch Line: The Signalman” is included with an account of another railway accident upon which it is based.
July 20, 2024
The law student part of my brain, reading the list of safety recommendations not followed in the run-up to this accident: DAAAAAAAMN GIRL
The bookworm part of my brain, reading that Dickens went straight from the accident to the publisher's so he could drop off the manuscript of the latest instalment of Our Mutual Friend: DAAAAAAAAMN GIRL
The rest of my brain, reading that Dickens made sure his mistress got off the train and away from the scene before he went and helped the injured and the dying: DAAAAAAAAAMN GIRL
Anyway this book is really good, turns out Dickens JR JR JR JR *also* knows how to tell a story.
The bookworm part of my brain, reading that Dickens went straight from the accident to the publisher's so he could drop off the manuscript of the latest instalment of Our Mutual Friend: DAAAAAAAAMN GIRL
The rest of my brain, reading that Dickens made sure his mistress got off the train and away from the scene before he went and helped the injured and the dying: DAAAAAAAAAMN GIRL
Anyway this book is really good, turns out Dickens JR JR JR JR *also* knows how to tell a story.
January 22, 2023
Dickens was unlucky to be involved in a train crash when returning from France, where he had spent a holiday with his mistress Ellen Ternan. There was too much psychobabble and speculation for my liking. Average.
January 7, 2024
Fantastic book that needed to be written and written so well
October 24, 2025
I'm influenced to giving this 4 stars because of how much I enjoy the author's, Gerald Dickens, live performances of his great-great-grandfather Charles Dickens' works. His passion is Charles Dickens and his passion impresses me in his performances. This book is a pandemic project which adds to this performance of Dickens' short story, The Signalman. Charles Dickens was in a tragic train wreck although his car escaped the worst of the wreck. He climbed out and helped others, some mortally wounded, which tragically affected him. This book is a personal story although the author never met Charles Dickens, yet his telling is touching and not a historian's tale. The Dickens short story is at the end of his book which shows how unimpressive it is without knowing of Charles Dickens' experience in a tragic train wreck.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews