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Lambert's Railway Miscellany
Lambert's Railway Miscellany
Nov 21, 2024 4:37 AM

Author:Anthony Lambert

Lambert's Railway Miscellany

The world of the railways weaves a spell over many people. In this engaging book railway expert Anthony Lambert presents some of the best stories. From the early days come tales of financial skulduggery and worries that sparks from locomotives might ignite sheep's fleeces. But as the railway transformed the modern world, attitudes changed, and railways were opened to great rejoicing and even religious blessing. The perennial appeal of the steam locomotive generated a pride amongst railwaymen and a fascination among the public. The romantic aspects of the railway were soon celebrated - and not just the unexpected engagement that came from a snowbound train in the Highlands or the sexual shenanigans of the Orient Express. Here are stories of railway travel, from the palatial carriages of tsars and maharajahs to the open trucks of the 'lower orders', mishaps and faux pas, and tales of how ticket inspectors used to have to hold on to the outside of carriages while clipping tickets.

From tales of lonely stations and signal-boxes in Scotland, to the unlucky engineer eaten by a lion in a carriage in Kenya, Lambert casts his net across railways worldwide to gather the most entertaining material. There are stories here that would enliven even a cheerless commute on the 18.01, and remind you that our railways really were - and occasionally still are - full of derring-do, romance and character.

Reviews

A book you can't do without... full of fascinating gems.

—— Dr Pete Waterman OBE

Compelling.

—— Sunday Times

The grandest, richest and strangest of Dostoevsky's four "big" novels

—— Richard T. Kelly , Telegraph

Great fun… He reveals how drug barons run their illegal multi-billion dollar global businesses in much the same way as Fortune 500 chief executives.

—— Sunday Times

Superb. One of the most original and smart takes I have read on the drugs world.

—— Moisés Naím, author of 'Illicit'

This is a clearly written and unassumingly clever book.

—— The Independent

[An] exhilarating trip into the heart of the illegal narcotics industry. One of the most exciting business books of the last few years.

—— Management Today

A daring work of investigative journalism and a well-reasoned argument for smarter drug policies.

—— Kirkus Reviews

This is a clearly written and unassumingly clever book

—— Oliver Poole , The Independent

An economics manual for the Breaking Bad generation…a fascinating account

—— Fiona Wilson , The Times

Great fun…He reveals how drug barons run their illegal multi-billion dollar global businesses in much the same way as Fortune 500 chief executives.

—— John Arlidge , The Sunday Times

One of the pithiest and most persuasive arguments for drug law reform I have ever read

—— Misha Glenny , New York Times

With a sharp eye for the absurd in the ordinary, Barrett's stories impart gritty and touching realisations about life as it really is. Edgy, sharp and utterly original, Homesickness is an utterly compelling collection and Barrett is meticulous

—— Elaine Feeney

Colin Barrett is a young man in the town of the short story, but it's fair to say he has the run of the place

—— Jon McGregor

Homesickness is another finely crafted collection... Crisply told, fond of an eye-catching flourish... the stories draw energy from the rhythms of west of Ireland small talk, added to Barrett's eye for striking detail...The scenarios are richly layered, with punchy payoffs.

—— Anthony Cummins , Observer

Strange and haunting fiction. You could open Homesickness at any page and find sentences of vim and elegance, ringing dialogue...and similes to savour.

—— Max Liu , i

Homesickness presents us with a set of characters forever losing things: other people's dogs, girlfriends, the will to live. But in the course of these stories they find things, too: courage; a crumpled sort of wisdom; the will to live. Between the comedy, and the pure thrill of the language, there's a lot of sorrow and mental illness here, but the afterglow of the stories, which settle and stay with you, is one of moving regard for the flaws and wants we battle, flee, and bargain with every day of our lives

—— Chris Power

Vivid, punchy... Barrett delineates with verve the ways his characters struggle.

—— Melanie White , Literary Review

Worth the wait... few do it as well as Colin Barrett.

—— Tom Gatti , New Statesman

Barrett's... brilliant second collection confirms him as one of the very best short-story writers in the business.

—— New Statesman, *The Best Books of 2022 so far*

Barrett's stories are, without exception, beautifully written, full of arresting imagery.

—— Booklist (starred review)

Bittersweet and chiseled...From gritty realism to oddball noir, this assured collection demonstrates the talent of a distinctive writer.

—— Publishers Weekly

Richly descriptive...This sharply observant collection resists pigeonholing its recalcitrant characters.

—— Kirkus Review

A masterwork-by turns hilarious and heart-breaking, these stories shimmer. No story writer at work today thrills me more than Colin Barrett, whose characters feel immediately so familiar and true in their capacity to maim and love. What fierce, tender stories. Totally unforgettable.

—— Brandon Taylor

Funny, devastating, slow-burning, these understated tales of misfits and misadventures in smalltown Ireland are written with a casual grace.

—— Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2022*

Superb.

—— White Review, *Books of the Year*

Eight stories ... written with vim and elegance and more than deliver on the promise of Barrett's acclaimed 2014 debut, Young Skins.

—— iNews, *Books of the Year*

Pretty impressive.

—— The Sun

Sensitive, often witty and sometimes melancholic reflections.

—— Economia

Unveil[s] the inventive mind behind his regular-guy façade.

—— Daily Telegraph

Perfect for book lovers and cinephiles alike.

—— Elle

A pretty damn good writer.

—— OK! Magazine

Full of Hanks' winning charm.

—— Mr Hyde

Hanks’ measured storytelling makes the collection an addictive read.

—— Hindustan Times

Startlingly good… A spellbinding easygoing read, it is hard to find any fault, other than that Hanks is annoyingly talented and yet still somehow remains impossible to dislike.

—— Irish News

Startlingly good … each of these 17 stories leap out from the page in their authenticity and whimsicality … A spellbindingly easygoing read, it is hard to find fault.

—— Press Association

A wonderful collection.

—— Candis

Warm, gently funny and mostly engaging.

—— Red

Behind the collection is a warmth and humanity.

—— Sunday Sport

Unexpectedly brilliant.

—— Love It!

A spellbindingly easygoing read, it is hard to find fault.

—— The Universe

Rich range of subject matter and emotions.

—— Harrods Magazine
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