October 2020

224pp

198 x 129 mm

PLC hardback

978 1 9160453 5 4

Literature/Transport

‘A congenial collection . . . An attractive and compact book. When we have destinations on our calendars again and can dream away the hours on a train, it would fit neatly inside one’s knapsack.’ Annette Federico, TLS

‘It’s marvellous . . . This is a book to curl up on the sofa and soak up, and of interest to anyone who appreciates the work of Dickens, whether interested in railways or not. Very highly recommended’, Steam World

‘This fantastic new book’, Charles Dickens Museum

‘The characters are richly described as you might expect, and his descriptions of the construction of the railways seem as relevant today as they ever have . . . What you’re left with is a huge appreciation for the impact the railways had on people’s lives and the richness of Dickens’s writing style,’ Ian Visits

DICKENS ON RAILWAYS

A Great Novelist’s Travels by Train

Edited by Tony Williams

In the mid-nineteenth century, the great age of railway building, Charles Dickens could not but be aware of their transformative impact on society. So he wrote about it – to a remarkable extent.

He wrote a classic ghost story, ‘The Signalman’; in Dombey and Son about what is now the West Coast Main Line being carved through north London in great ravines. He wrote satirical pieces about railway catering – even back then; about the wonder of express train travel to the Channel ports; travel pieces about exploring America by train – and about being personally involved in the notorious Staplehurst train crash in Kent.

Now, in the 150th anniversary year of Dickens’s death, Tony Williams, a former president of the Dickens Fellowship, collects the great novelist’s railway writings into a handsome little volume ideal for a long train journey…

Dr Tony Williams is an adviser to the Charles Dickens Museum in London, associate editor of The Dickensian, and co-author of Dickens’ Victorian London (2012).

‘Train enthusiasts, fans of Charles Dickens, and anyone who enjoys stories written by someone who has a wonderful command of the English language will enjoy this book.

‘The editor, Tony Williams, gives crisp and helpful introductions to the various selections he has chosen from the pen of the great 19th-century author. Dickens’ observations of both the initial days and later dominance of rail traffic in Great Britain are a joy to experience.

‘In summary, this is an attractive and compact book that will fit neatly inside a rucksack, briefcase, or even a large pocket. It is of interest to anyone who appreciates the work of Dickens, has an interest in railways, or simply enjoys a book that makes full use of the descriptive qualities of the English language. Very highly recommended,’ Rail Advent