The 8.55 To Baghdad [Hardcover]

"If there was ever a lesson in how to construct a travel book, this is it. Eames has the acute eye and polished pen of an outstanding observer."
-"Daily Telegraph
"
"Two terrific subjects . . . the surprisingly adventurous life of Agatha Christie and the major hotspots of current world politics."
-"Daily Mail"

"From the Trade Paperback edition."

Eames' journey becomes absorbing in its own right... He gives vivid and atmospheric accounts.

The 8.55 to Baghdad is a thoroughly enjoyable read... a thought-provoking journey through a benighted land.

A compelling read - travel books really don't get much better than this.

A fascinating contemporary journey which reveals the secret life of the world's most widely read author.

‘Eames has succeeded in the difficult task of closing an entertaining...travel narrative with the brutal conclusions of modern history’

‘A thoroughly enjoyable read that combines an Agatha-centric travelogue with a thought-provoking journey through a benighted land’

Andrew Eames is an adventurous, insightful and sympathetic observer who sets out to travel from London to Baghdad by train, following the route of the old Orient Express. Interwoven through his own experience, with the colourful cast of characters he encounters en route, is an identical journey made by Agatha Christie in 1928, a journey which was to change her life completely and led to her spending 30 seasons on archaeological digs in the deserts of Syria and Iraq. As Eames’ own journey progresses he begins to reveal details of that exotic second existence of the world’s most widely read author. The modern journey from London to Baghdad by train is actually far harder to do today than it was in Agatha’s day. Many of the countries Eames passes through, from the Balkans and into the Middle East, have had a particularly bad press in recent years, and yet the people the author meets are invariably delightful. Eventually he arrives at the Iraqi border at the same time as the UN weapons inspectors, and thus was one of the last tourists to experience the reality of Saddam Hussein’s regime. As the book approaches its final destination of Ur, one of the first cities mentioned in Genesis and the place where Agatha first met her future husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan, it becomes increasingly filled with a sense of doom and oppression as the shadow of war looms. A compelling read which merges literary biography with an intensely personal travel adventure, and ancient history with contemporary events. A revelation both about Agatha Christie’s life and about the true character of nations which have been demonized by the world press in recent years.

Andrew Eames, an adventurous, insightful and sympathetic observer, sets out to travel from London to Baghdad by train, following the route of the old Orient Express and an identical journey made by Agatha Christie in 1928. Agatha’s journey was to change her life completely and led to her spending thirty seasons on archaeological digs in the deserts of Syria and Iraq. Eames’ own journey reveals fascinating details of this little known but exotic chapter in the life of the world’s most widely read author. The journey from London to Baghdad by train today is actually far harder than it was in Agatha’s day. Many of the countries Eames passes through, from the Balkans to the Middle East, have been deeply troubled in recent years. Eventually he arrives at the Iraqi border at the same time as the UN weapons inspectors. As the book approaches its final destination the shadow of war looms increasingly large. A compelling read, merging literary biography with travel adventure, The 8.55 to Baghdad is the journey of a lifetime...

Andrew Eames was born in 1958. His career in journalism started in south-east Asia, where he travelled and lived for two years. From there he returned to the UK to work first on specialist magazines and then in guide book publishing. Ten years ago he went freelance, and has been writing travel and general interest features mainly for national newspapers, such as The Telegraph and The Times. He is the author of Crossing the Shadow Line, Four Scottish Journeys and Benn's London. He is married with two children.