In this critically-acclaimed fictional memoir of Sir Walter Scott, Allan Massie recreates the life & times of one of Scotland`s greatest writers, convincingly capturing Scott`s humour, stoicism & eccentricity. Combining imaginative plausibility with his own deep knowledge of & love for Scott`s work, Massie reveals the intimate thoughts of a man at odds with his popular image: good & courageous, but also an enigma to thosearound him. By turns a ghost story & an examination of the Scottish character, The Ragged Lion is utterly enthralling. ...

A sustained attack on selfish capitalism, & a Socialist critique of Edwardian England`s social inequality, Robert Tressell`s The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

Includes:: an introduction by Tristram Hunt in Penguin Modern Classics. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists tells the story of a group of working men who are joined one day by Frank Owen, a journeyman-prophet with a vision of a just society. Indicting the `philanthropy` of the working class, who toil solely for the benefit of their masters, & initiating them into the secrets of the ` Great Money Trick` which alienates them from their labour, Owen`s spirited attacks on the greed & dishonesty of the capitalist system rouse his fellow men from their political quietism. A masterpiece of wit & political passion & one of the most authentic novels of English working class life ever written. Robert Noonan (1870-1911) who took the pseudonym ` Tressell` from the `trestle table` of the sort used by decorators, was an Irish housepainter who came to England from South Africa in 1900. He settled in Hastings, where he worked as a signwriter for various building firms. Tressell never lived to see his book in print; he died of tuberculosis in 1911, aged forty. If you enjoyed The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, you might also like Jaroslav Hasek`s The Good Soldier Svejk, available in Penguin Classics. ” Some books seem to batter their way to immortality against all odds, by sheer brute artistic strength, & high up in this curious & honourable company must be counted The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. Robert Tressell`s unfailing humour mixes with an unfailing rage & the two together make a truly Swiftian impact.” (Evening Standard). ”A brilliant & very funny book.” (Spectator). ”[ It] has always seemed to me a wonderful book.” (George Orwell, author of Animal Farm). ” The first great English novel about the class war...witty, humourous, instinctive & full of excitement, harmony & pathos.” (Alan Sillitoe).

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Set mainly in Uzbekistan between 1900 & 1980, The Railway introduces to us the inhabitants of the small town of Gilas on the ancient Silk Route. Among those whose stories we hear are Mefody-Jurisprudence, the town`s alcoholic intellectual; Father Ioann, a Russian priest; Kara-Musayev the Younger, the chief of police; & Umarali-Moneybags, the old moneylender. Their colourful lives offer a unique & comic picture of a little-known land populated by outgoing Mullahs, incoming Bolsheviks, & a plethora of Uzbeks, Russians, Persians, Jews, Koreans, Tatars & Gypsies. At the heart of both the town & the novel stands the railway station
- a source of income & influence, & a connection to the greater world beyond the town. Rich & picaresque, The Railway chronicles the dramatic changes felt throughout Central Asia in the early twentieth century.
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The railways are one of our finest engineering legacies
- a web of routes connecting people to each other & to a vast network of
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Anthology of short excerpts from the writings of more than 50 famous literary & historical figures on the subject of railways & rail journeys around the world
- Bill Bryson, Agatha Christie, William Dalrymple, Peter Fleming, Kenneth Grahame, Rudyard Kipling, Eric Newby, Christopher Portway, Paul Theroux, Colin Thubron & Mark Tully among many others. Brief biographies of all the writers"ed are included. Will appeal to rail travellers & armchair travellers alike.
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One of the great triumphs of the 19th century was the building of the railways. They established Britain as the centre of the commercial world. The work involved was stupendous
- routes had to be surveyed, land purchased, rivers crossed, hills burrowed through or sliced in two by cuttings of great length, perhaps with roads passing overhead. This book concentrates on the people responsible for designing & actually building the railways, from the financiers, engineers & contractors to the gangers & navvies. They deserve far more attention than they have so far received. How was the money raised? How were the necessary acts driven through Parliament? How did surveyors cope with landowners up in arms? How were the armies of navvies kept off the drink & out of fights? How were tunnels excavated, especially when they ran under major rivers? What was involved in draining swamps like Chat Moss? Who made the billions of bricks, the hundreds of thousands of wooden tunnel supports, or the tens of thousands of miles of rail? & how did they do it? Against a background of enormous activity, fortunes were made & lost & men died in considerable numbers. Anthony Burton's narrative brings the scene to life.
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” The Railway Children” is the classic children`s story by E. Nesbit. When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis & their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go & live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, & make friends with Perks the Porter & the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter & Phyllis run down the field to the railway track & wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father`s disappearance. One of the best-loved classics of all time, with a wonderful introduction by Jacqueline Wilson. Edith Nesbit was a mischievous child who grew up into an unconventional adult. With her husb&, Hubert Bl&, she was one of the founder members of the socialist Fabian Society; their household became a centre of the socialist & literary circles of the times. E. Nesbit turned late to children`s writing. Her first children`s book, ” The Treasure Seekers”, was published in 1899 to great acclaim. Other books featuring the Bastable children followed, & a series of magical fantasy books, including ” Five Children & It” also became very popular. ” The Railway Children” was first published monthly in the London Magazine in 1905, & published as a book in 1906, which has been in print ever since. Other children`s books by E Nesbit: ” The Story of the Treasure Seekers”; ” The Wouldbegoods”; ” The New Treasure Seekers”; ” Complete History of the Bastable Family”; ” Five Children & It”; ” The Phoenix & the Carpet”; ” The Story of the Amulet”; ” The House of Arden”; ” Harding`s Luck”; ” The Railway Children”; ” The Enchanted Castle”; ” The Magic City”; ” The Wonderful Garden”; ” Wet Magic”; ” Five of Us & Madeline”. ...

The American Civil War was a turning point in the history of warfare, as Napoleonic tactics met deadly new technology. Cannons & rifles had become more accurate at longer ranges, rapid-fire pistols gave cavalry a new weapon, & the telegraph & railroad completely altered both strategic & tactical thinking. Across a Deadly Field, the new regimental-level wargame from Osprey Publishing, allows players to recreate this tumultuous period of warfare on the tabletop. Its versatile rules make it possible to refight any battle, from the early skirmishes of Ball`s Bluff & Big Bethel to the gr&, set-piece battles such as Gettysburg that decided the war. Written by John Hill, designer of the Johnny Reb series, Across a Deadly Field offers both new & experienced wargamers a fast-paced & dynamic game where even a single regiment can make the difference between victory & defeat. ...

A naive young man, a railway enthusiast & radio buff, was caught up in the fall of the British Empire at Singapore in 1942. He was put to work on the ` Railway of Death`
- the Japanese line from Thailand to Burma. Exhaustively & brutally tortured by the Japanese for making a crude radio, Lomax was emotionally ruined by his experiences. Almost 50 years after the war, however, his life was changed by the discovery that his interrogator, the Japanese interpreter, was still alive
- their reconciliation is the culmination of this extraordinary story.

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During the Second World War Eric Lomax was forced to work on the notorious Burma-Siam Railway & was tortured by the Japanese for making a crude radio. Left emotionally scarred & unable to form normal relationships, Lomax suffered for years until, with the help of his wife, Patti Lomax, & of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, he came terms with what happened. Fifty years after the terrible events, he was able to meet one of his tormentors. The Railway Man is a story of innocence betrayed, & of survival & courage in the face of horror. ...