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The Subterranean Railway: How the London Underground Was Built and How It Changed the City Forever | 
 enlarge | Author: Christian Wolmar
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Category: Book
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £4.73
You Save: £5.26 (53%)
New (24) Used (4) from £4.50
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 3108
Media: Paperback
Edition: New Ed
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 1.3
ISBN: 1843540231
EAN: 9781843540236
ASIN: 1843540231
Publication Date: September 15, 2005
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new book sourced directly from the publisher. Delivery in 3-5 days. Customer service 7 days per week
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Wolmar takes you down under. April 3, 2008
Daniel Storey (Rochester, England)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Christian Wolmar is a journalist who happens to have an interest in trains and this is one of many books he has written on the subject over the last 10 years.
Subterranean Railway focuses on the London Underground and how it grew to what we travel on today in our millions year on year.
Now personally I can just about tolerate the Underground in off peak times but when it comes to the peak hours it has to been one of the worse traveling experiences known to man or woman.
So with that in mind this book made me sit up and take notice of what a great feat on engineering the London Underground really is and still remains, the photo of Piccadilly Circus in chapter thirteen illustrates this point very well indeed.
In Chapters 1 to 13 Christian takes you on a journey from the Underground's construction during the 1850's and the subjacent creation of the first underground line the Metropolitan, then he goes on to explain the building and politics behind all the lines and finishes this part of the book with the story behind the creation of what is know as Metroland or to use another term, suburban London.
In Chapter 14 Christian goes onto explain the use of the underground during the war years and how it helped save many lives during the German bombing raids.
The London Underground is not without its problems by any means and in the last chapter Christian briefly explains why a lack of investment since the 1960's lead to a sad decline which was only turned around after the Kings Cross fire in the 1987.
Christian has done his research and because of this his book introduces and brings alive in your mind all the people that have played their part in the history of the Underground.
The reason I give this book a 4 star rating and not a 5 is I don't think there is enough pictures to compliment the Underground's early history and it can be sometimes hard to image what the old coaches and carriages use to look and feel like in them early years.
The book won't change your journey experience on the Underground but it will help you to appreciate and be proud of it.
A compelling account of a masterful creation March 22, 2008
Bones (High Wycombe, UK.)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book looks at the creation of the underground from all angles: political, technical, social - and is interesting throughout. The author's sense of humour and well chosen quotes brings a sense of reverie to the experience, as one imagines what it must have been like at the beginning, and in comparison to the present day. It's nice to see a book which really underlines what a remarkable achievement the London Underground, was how important a creation it has proved to be.
surprisingly fascinating and readable history January 5, 2008
R. J. Brady (wallington, surrey United Kingdom)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Well researched lively and interesting history of the World's oldest and
most respected underground railway.
What amazing people the Victorians were in their vision and their incredible technological bravura.Also the many thousands of workers who built and ran the line are given due acknowledgement.
A great read.
Travelling to Burnt Oak November 18, 2007
Lewis Graham
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Christian Wolmar has produced an excellent book with a fair sprinkling of characters, politics and high finance. Anyone who is seen to take the underground for granted should be handed a copy of this book to learn just how remarkable a thing it is. Similarly, as a history of the underground, this is an excellent start.
The only disappointment is the brevity of coverage of events post 1945. The building of the Victoria and Jubilee lines are covered, but nowhere to the depth of earlier lines. Some discussion of how these lines came about would have been an interesting study in allowing politicians to run a railway.
But such criticisms are small compared to a book on railways that doesn't require an anorak to enjoy.
An Interesting and Intelligent Book November 17, 2007
Dr. R. Brandon (England)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This excellent and intelligent book charts the history of the London Underground from the early 1870s until the present day. Naturally the period of early development and expansion up to the establishment of Herbert Morrison's London Transport in 1933 is given most space with the Victoria Line and Jubilee Extension being briefly covered. The building of the cut and cover Metropolitan and the District Railway and the intense rivalry of their respective chairmen Edward Watkin and James Forbes is most interesting. The simultaneous relating of the story of the deep line electric railways, the technological developments and the always interesting roles of the great characters and engineers involved is the strength and pleasure of this book. The complex story is related with a speed and clarity that gives the feeling of excitement and wonder that must have existed at the time. The contribution of American technology brought over by Charles Yerkes, the station designs of Leslie Green and the later Art Deco of Charles Holden, the administrative genius of Ashfield and Frank Pick who between them formed the look of the Underground system that we now take for granted as 'naturally' correct, are all covered with immense flair in this excellent book. Read this and then rush to buy Wolmar's 'Fire and Steam'.
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