A History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys

Description

Although a basic form of railway, or rutway, did exist in Ancient Greek and Roman times-notably the ship trackway between Diolkos and the Isthmus of Corinth around 600 BC-it would take several thousand years before the first fare-paying passenger service was launched in the early nineteenth century. Some two hundred years on, it is possible to travel by train to some of the worlds most remote and remarkable destinations, and track the many weird and wonderful legacies of the Earths extensive history-man-made and otherwise. From prehistoric rock formations to skyscraper cities, slow steam engines to high-speed bullet trains, let A History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys be your guide.

Sarah Baxter grew up in Norfolk, England (high point: 100m), which may partly explain her love of the mountains. Her passion for travel and getting active outdoors saw her traverse Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the US before settling into a writing career. Since 2002 she has worked at Wanderlust magazine, the bible for independent-minded travellers, where she is now Associate Editor. She has written extensively on walking and travel for Wanderlust and a diverse range of other publications, from The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Independent to Country Walking and Runner's World, and has contributed to more than a dozen Lonely Planet books. Author of The History of the World in 500 Walks and a certified walking and history buff, Sarah can also lay claim to taking more than her fair share of railway journeys around the world, including Interrailing across Europe (the alternative and affordable "Orient Express" from Paris to Istanbul) and musings on the Caledonian Sleeper, London to the French Alps/Morocco/Cyprus routes and the Trans-Siberian Express.