The Last Journey of William Huskisson: How a Day of Triumph Became a Day of Despair at the Turn of a Wheel [Paperback]

From the author of Mauve comes a dramatic and hugely readable account of the day which saw the dawning of the railway age - and the first railway accident. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the greatest engineering feat of its age. George and Robert Stephenson's 'Rocket' was to become the most famous locomotive in history. William Huskisson was one of the greatest statesmen of his generation, and certainly the most accident prone. On 15 September 1830, the three met for the first time. 'Part biography, part social, part railway history, this is a good example of history-by-episode . . . It is an enjoyable, well-researched and instructive account. By no means is it only for railway buffs, but it might turn you into one.' The Spectator

Simon Garfield was born in 1960. He is the author of Expensive Habits: The Dark Side of the Industry, The End of Innocence: Britain in the Time of AIDS, which was awarded the Somerset Maugham Prize, The Wrestling, The Nation's Favourite: The True Adventures of Radio 1, Mauve, The Last Journey of William Huskisson, The Error World and the Mass Observation trilogy Our Hidden Lives, Private Battles and We Are At War.

There were a great many witnesses to the terrible accident which befell William Huskisson, but none could agree precisely what occurred. Some said his left leg fell on the track in one way, some quite another, and some said it was his thigh. A few observed a 'fiery fountain' of blood, but others saw only a trickle. Some claimed there was shrieking, but the rest believed he was rendered mute by the shock. Yet there was one thing on which everyone agreed. They all said that the accident was the worst thing they had ever seen, and the one thing they would never forget. The following pages recount how a day of triumph became a day of despair at the turn of a wheel. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.