Walk the Lines

Oct 7, 2024 2:26 PM

Author:Mark Mason

Walk the Lines

The only way to truly discover a city, they say, is on foot. Taking this to extremes, Mark Mason sets out to walk the entire length of the London Underground - overground - passing every station on the way.

In a story packed with historical trivia, personal musings and eavesdropped conversations, Mark learns how to get the best gossip in the City, where to find a pint at 7am, and why the Bank of England won't let you join the M11 northbound at Junction 5. He has an East End cup of tea with the Krays' official biographer, discovers what cabbies mean by 'on the cotton', and meets the Archers star who was the voice of 'Mind the Gap'.

Over the course of several hundred miles, Mark contemplates London's contradictions as well as its charms. He gains insights into our fascination with maps and sees how walking changes our view of the world. Above all, in this love letter to a complicated friend, he celebrates the sights, sounds and soul of the greatest city on earth.

Reviews

Endlessly fascinating

—— Spectator

An extraordinary odyssey

—— Robert Elms , BBC London

This engaging book puts its best foot forward

—— Independent

Crammed with delightful facts ... a constantly fascinating journey

—— Shortlist

Rediscovers the Underground

—— The Times

Awesome

—— Shaun Keaveny , BBC Radio 6 Music

Mason may have made himself the Bill Bryson of our capital city

—— The Bookseller

I was charmed by the book's profusion of insightful anecdotes and fascinating trivia

—— Walk Magazine

Maconie’s history of modern Britain filtered through pop songs is a fine example of a perfect marriage: Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again conjures up the British wartime resilience while The Strawbs’ Part of the Union sums up the bitter industrial conflict that defined the 1970s

—— DAILY MAIL

Beautifully crafted and scrupulously researched… The Zhivago Affair is a prime example of hard work and fidelity to a good story

—— Washington Post Sunday

As gripping as any spy thriller

—— Sunday Times

Fascinating...With a delightful eye for detail

—— Catherine Merridale , The Times

Finn and Couvée deal objectively with the characters involved and tell the story with exceptional vivacity

—— Literary Review

A thrilling literary espionage yarn...sheds new light on the Cold War struggle for the hearts and minds of millions of people

—— Michael Dobbs

A fascinating tale that sheds new light on the literary front of the Cold War

—— Stephen Coulson , Lady

High dudgeon, high stakes, high art

—— Robert Bound , Monocle

A wonderful book

—— Angus Roxburgh , The Herald

A fast-paced political thriller about a book that terrified a nation

—— Kirkus Reviews

Brisk and thrilling...expertly told...a triumphant reminder that truth is sometimes gloriously stranger than fiction

—— Publishers Weekly

Groundbreaking reporting and character-rich storytelling... Passionately written...almost makes one nostalgic for a time when novels were so important that even the CIA cared about them

—— Ken Kalfus

A sparkling and fascinating account

—— David E. Hoffman

Well-paced narrative...of great relevance today, when such conflicts seem (but only seem) to have disappeared.

—— Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky

Immensely compelling

—— Fred Hiatt , The Pat Banker

Meticulously researched

—— Duncan White , Irish Independent

The true strength of this meticulously researched book is the placing of the revelations into the context of a compelling human drama

—— Weekly Telegraph

Engrossing

—— Andrew Lynch , Sunday Business Post

[An] outstanding treasure of literature

—— Market Oracle

Impeccably researched, and moving, this book breaks new ground

—— 5 stars , Sunday Telegraph

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