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Parallel Lines: Or, Journeys on the Railway of Dreams

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Parallel Lines: Or, Journeys on the Railway of Dreams (Paperback)

by Ian Marchant (Author)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; New edition edition (5 Jul 2004)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0747565848
ISBN-13: 978-0747565840
Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 96,934 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review

'Compelling Part Bill Bryson, part Nick Hornby, part memoir and part pastiche Light, lively and, above all, right: what every enthusiast should be expected to know' The Times 'Michael Palin meets Nick Hornby meets What the Victorians Did for Us wacky and amiable' Independent on Sunday 'A gloriously disingenuous front for the most acerbic and humorous criticism of public transport policy a more entertaining and incisive read will not be found this year' Glasgow Herald 'The trip keeps its pace and purpose, fuelled by the genial, flexible rhythms of the prose and enriched by two centuries of railway-culture hinterland' Independent

Independent

The trip keeps its pace and purpose, fuelled by the genial, flexible rhythms of the prose.

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	72% buy the item featured on this page: Parallel Lines: Or, Journeys on the Railway of Dreams 4.8 out of 5 stars (12) �5.41
	13% buy Eleven Minutes Late: A Train Journey to the Soul of Britain 4.7 out of 5 stars (12) �8.98
	7% buy The Longest Crawl 4.4 out of 5 stars (14) �5.07
	5% buy Britain from the Rails: A Window Gazer's Guide (Bradt Travel Guide) 4.0 out of 5 stars (7) �11.71

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book About Railways - Not Loco Numbers!, 30 Dec 2006

By	Graeme Wright "book worm" (salford) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What's this? A book about trains, spotting them and the enthusiasts who lurk at the ends of platforms with flasks and cameras at the ready like some saddo paparazzi? If anyone had told me a month ago that I would be reviewing such a book I would have seriously questioned their knowledge of my inner workings. Yet here we are - a thoroughly researched, cleverly written and very interesting book about the very same. Mr Marchant has that elusive knack of being able to present cold facts and figures in a manner which enthrals and entertains while at the same time getting in a few direct kicks at the shoddy state of Britain's railway industry today.
This book succeeds in its quest due to its blending of topicality with history and tradition; written in 2002 it is enviously well placed to observe and comment on the shambles that is rail privatisation as well as musing on the idyllic fantasy of its previous incarnations over the previous hundred and seventy years. To achieve this with both humour and a biting criticism is the mark of a great social commentator - most railway passengers soon learn that there is little room for the former in today's corporate-run industry - sorry, service. Whether he is reminiscing about boyhood trips from Newhaven, comparing the merits of York's National Railway Museum with Crewe's The Railway Age, going on an eighteen hour bender around London's Underground system (rather him than me) or exploring the secret world of the model railway exhibitor Mr Marchant proves throughout that he know his standard from his narrow gauge and is a train spotter of the highest order. More importantly he is also a damn fine - and funny - writer on the subject and for that we should all be grateful.

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anoracks are very sensible pieces of clothing-just not cool!, 12 Jul 2004

By	Mr A Keen (Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parallel Lines: Or Journeys on the Railway of Dreams (Paperback)

Hilariously funny. I had never previously read, or indeed heard of, Ian Merchant before, now I am collecting his books!! His humour has you laughing out loud at times, yet his personal stories can leave you crying. Excellent and factual except for this gauge & scale issue...........

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Salute the BASHER, the Titan of Rail Travel, 26 Jul 2004

By	Stephen T. Lewis (Fife, Scotland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was astounded how Ian Marchant captured so much of the Basher's art in a digestible form. The Basher is not a spotter and neither are "cool". But so what? Ian deals with this very eloquently with his astute analysis of that Titan of rail travel. Ian also investigates the somewhat sad history of our railways and the various highs and lows (especially privatisation), and wraps this up as a wonderful social history of "The Permanent Way".
There is no place for any branded marketing in here, and so much the better, just gritty individuals contributing to the rich fabric of "the network". Buy the book and read it on the train.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Chuffing marvellous
Ian Marchant is a great travelling companion, and this is the best book I've read about our much maligned railway system. Read more

Published 4 days ago by M. Parker

5.0 out of 5 stars Railways Past, in a Present Age
This is a wonderful travel book about getting to places on our modern railway network. It is also littered with interesting historical facts about how these lines came to be where... Read more

Published 2 months ago by B. F. Bryant

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just for anoraks!
Parallel Lines: Or, Journeys on the Railway of Dreams Think you know their own country? Are you sure? Read more

Published 6 months ago by Amaz(on)ing Read

5.0 out of 5 stars not interested in trains? then buy this book
funny, political, sharp, witty, and if you have zero interest in trains it really is worth having a fat middle-aged educated wit take you on a journey of a lifetime. Read more

Published 8 months ago by J. S. Bywater-lees

4.0 out of 5 stars A Once and Future Railway
This is a highly readable book, although maybe not as funny as some of the review suggest. The opening page hooked me, but I think that the central idea of the book - that two... Read more

Published 8 months ago by SCM

5.0 out of 5 stars Far from hitting the buffers!
Like some of the other reviewers here I had not heard of Ian before randomly buying this book - but on turning the last page I will seek out his others. Read more

Published on 28 Oct 2006 by D. J. Gibbs

5.0 out of 5 stars This book made me very, very happy.
What a fabulous book! Within minutes of reading the first chapter I was already quoting the funniest bits to my friends, and causing arguments about it. Read more

Published on 23 Jul 2004 by Bryony Evens

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, Passionate, Thoughtful and Rivetting
Ian Marchant is a writer with a genius for comedy, observation and character, but he also has a fierce intellect and a passionate commitment to his subject. Read more

Published on 26 Aug 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars "Railways Interesting" Shock!
Fans of Marchant's other 2 books (The Battle for Dole Acre and In Southern Waters, which combine pin-sharp observation with broad-brush farce, and if you haven't you should check... Read more

Published on 22 Aug 2003 by George Green

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