Now in paperback, this tells the dramatic story of the people and events that shaped the world's first railway network, in Britain. From the opening of the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830 onwards, it celebrates the vision and determination of the ambitious Victorians who developed this revolutionary transport system, and the navvies who cut through the land to enable and country wide network to emerge. It sold over 30,000 copies in hardback. 'Christian Wolmar brings the era of the railway man alive: both the imagination and the daring that made it possible.' David Dimbleby

The opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830 marked the beginning of the railways' vital role in changing the face of Britain. This work celebrates the vision and determination of the Victorian pioneers who developed this transport system and the navvies who cut through the land to enable a countrywide network to emerge.