Author

Publication

2009 - Macmillan, London, England

Language

English

Word Count

80,750 words, Guess

Page Count

323 pages

Identifiers

and 5 more
  • LibraryThing8286361
  • Library of Congress Control Number2009396930
  • OCLC Control Number305149744
  • Better World Books9780230744066
  • Open LibraryOL23680809M

Classifications

  • LCCHE3015 .E54 2009
  • LCCHE3015.E54 2009
  • LCCHE3015 .E64 2009

Alternate Titles

  • 11 minutes late

Description

"Britain gave railways to the world, yet its own network is the dearest (definitely) and the worst (probably) in Western Europe. Trains are deeply embedded in the national psyche and folklore - yet it is considered uncool to care about them." "For Matthew Engel the railway system is the ultimate expression of Britishness. It represents all the nation's ingenuity, incompetence, nostalgia, corruption, humour, capacity for suffering and even sexual repression. To uncover its mysteries, Engel has travelled the system from Penzance to Thurso, exploring its history and talking to people from politicians to platform staff." "Along the way Engel ('half-John Betjeman, half-Victor Meldrew') finds the most charmingly bizarre train in Britain, the most beautiful branch line, the rudest railwayman, and - after a quest lasting decades - an Individual Pot of Strawberry Jam. Eleven Minutes Late is both a polemic and a paean, and it is also very funny."--Jacket.

Subjects

Other Editions

  • Eleven minutes late: a train journey to the soul of BritainMacmillan2009-01-01

Reader Reviews

No reviews yet for this book.

Be the first to share your thoughts!