Reading the Rails

Nonfiction, Travel, Museums, Tours, & Points of Interest, Adventure & Literary Travel, Biography & Memoir, Literary
Cover of the book Reading the Rails by Matthew Mills Stevenson, Odysseus Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Matthew Mills Stevenson ISBN: 9780970913326
Publisher: Odysseus Books Publication: October 20, 2016
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Matthew Mills Stevenson
ISBN: 9780970913326
Publisher: Odysseus Books
Publication: October 20, 2016
Imprint:
Language: English

From the author of Letters of Transit and, more recently, Whistle-Stopping America comes this account of rail journeys across Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Malaysia, pre-war Syria, and the United States.

Acclaimed travel writer and essayist Matthew Mills Stevenson writes with wit and historical appreciation about what he sees, hears, and reads on his trans-continental train journeys along some of the most celebrated routes in the world--but also on branch lines in Kosovo, Greece, Poland, and Transnistria ("Stalin's showroom").

In China, Stevenson goes in search of Port Arthur and the 1904 Russo-Japanese War ("On those tracks are the origins of many wars"). From Prague to Berlin, he writes about the origins of World War II ("The Sudetenland reminded me of the Berkshires in western Massachusetts"). On Amtrak across the United States, he despairs over the collapse of American passenger rail service ("Why hasn't the route map changed in forty years?").

Neither a travel book nor a conventional railroad history, Reading the Rails captures not just the romance of trains but also the politics, history, books, and tragedies that went along these great lines.

The writing blends Stevenson's sense of irony and keen eye with his essayist's touch for events and historical passages.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From the author of Letters of Transit and, more recently, Whistle-Stopping America comes this account of rail journeys across Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Malaysia, pre-war Syria, and the United States.

Acclaimed travel writer and essayist Matthew Mills Stevenson writes with wit and historical appreciation about what he sees, hears, and reads on his trans-continental train journeys along some of the most celebrated routes in the world--but also on branch lines in Kosovo, Greece, Poland, and Transnistria ("Stalin's showroom").

In China, Stevenson goes in search of Port Arthur and the 1904 Russo-Japanese War ("On those tracks are the origins of many wars"). From Prague to Berlin, he writes about the origins of World War II ("The Sudetenland reminded me of the Berkshires in western Massachusetts"). On Amtrak across the United States, he despairs over the collapse of American passenger rail service ("Why hasn't the route map changed in forty years?").

Neither a travel book nor a conventional railroad history, Reading the Rails captures not just the romance of trains but also the politics, history, books, and tragedies that went along these great lines.

The writing blends Stevenson's sense of irony and keen eye with his essayist's touch for events and historical passages.

More books from Literary

Cover of the book The Man eaters of Tsavo [ Illustrated ] by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Head for the Edge, Keep Walking by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book The Math Tutor by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Les Noces de Claudine by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Rex Royale by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book New Views on Old News by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Les roses écarlates (Harlequin Prélud') by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Le Roi des étudiants by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Natural Bridges by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book The Raven by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Religious Diversity and Early Modern English Texts by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Das Leben der Bienen by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Anton Chekhov - The Beggar & Other Short Stories (Volume 9) by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book Orage maternel by Matthew Mills Stevenson
Cover of the book The Devil and the Detective by Matthew Mills Stevenson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy