June 18, 2009
 

elevenminuteslate
travel_bookshop
To Matthew Engel the railway system is the ultimate expression of Britishness. In this spirited and humorous history of the railway Engel takes us deep into the British psyche. Travelling from Penzance to Thurso, talking to politicians, platform staff, train enthusiasts and fellow passengers we get more than a glimpse of just how mismanaged and stretched the network has become over the years. Engel is quick to note that whilst Britain gave railways to the world, our own network is the most expensive and the most ineffectually run in Western Europe. Engel casts himself as somewhere between John Betjeman and Victor Meldrew, he can be very funny and also wonderfully insightful in this perfect companion for any long train journeys made this summer.

Review by Julian Mash

Eleven Minutes Late – a train journey to the soul of Britain by Matthew Engel
Publisher: Macmillan
£14.99

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