Fire & Steam cover art

Fire & Steam

A New History of the Railways in Britain

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Fire & Steam

By: Christian Wolmar
Narrated by: Christian Wolmar
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About this listen

 The opening of the pioneering Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1830 marked the beginning of the railway network's vital role in changing the face of Britain.

Fire & Steam celebrates the vision of the ambitious Victorian pioneers who developed this revolutionary transport system and the navvies who cut through the land to enable a country-wide railway to emerge.

From the early days of steam to electrification, via the railways' magnificent contribution in two world wars, the chequered history of British Rail and the buoyant future of the train, Fire & Steam examines the importance of the railway and how it helped to form the Britain of today.

©2007 Christian Wolmar (P)2008 Soundings Engineering Europe Great Britain Military World Railroad England War United Kingdom

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Critic reviews

"A beautifully written, detailed (but never anoraky) history of two centuries of life on the iron road." ( Telegraph)
"An excellent book." ( Independent)
"It is written in a brisk, down-to-earth style (a favourite adjective is "daft"), and is enjoyably replete with bizarre details" ( Guardian)
All stars
Most relevant
This was a period of British history I knew little about and so felt it was time to bring myself up to speed and hence this book. I was impressed by the book itself but felt it was read somewhat too fast by it's author. Having said that it was well researched and really brought the subject to life and made me look at all those tracks and stations in a new way.

Fire & Steam

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Well written and read. I really enjoyed listening to this whilst driving to work. As a newly qualified driver it was great to hear the history of the industry and learn how things have changed so much.

A great book

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Attempting to tackle this sizable subject in an easy to read volume is no mean feat! Wolmar, a transport journalist and sometime politician lays out what this book is and what it isn’t early on. There’s no complicated language of torque or route availability, timetable workings of the differences between subclasses of early diesel locomotives and it is all the better for that. What there is though, is a fantastically in-depth history of the development of the railway network throughout Britain from the early steam locomotive experiments, through the opening of the celebrated first branchlines in the 1830s through two World Wars and up to the modern day.

Using contemporary quotes to balance what were good and bad ideas as the system grew, Wolmar paints a wonderful picture of a country in change, socially and physically. Read by the author, there are moments he sounds breathless as he reads page after page - a narrator he is not - but it adds to the drama and charm of an already dramatic and charming book. His delicious enthusiasm is contagious.

I am what you might call a lapsed railway fan, yes, an ex-trainspotter, and in a moment of nostalgia this book gave me what I wanted. It filled out a history that I had a vague awareness of and inspired me to get back out there and appreciate the network. Not pick up a pen and jot down the locomotive numbers again, but appreciate the pleasing archways of Cubitt Kings Cross and marvel at the intricacies of Barlow's St Pancras. Those sweeping wide track beds of Brunel’s old Great Western and the gracefully ruins of a disused viaduct at rest. I will give this a five, it deserves it, and will also beg for more audiobook versions of Wolmar’s work. I know there are a couple more available, but I feel there is room for the others.

Dramatic and charming

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Excellent book, especially for those like me starting to delve into the history of British railways. Loved the author's narration. Just wish he could do more. An in depth look at the 50s and 60s, please!!!!

Very interesting

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I?ve always been a `railway enthusiast` ever since my school days, but not as much for the technical gauge?s and measurements, specs and performance, but more so for the love of the `thing` itself, the railways? This book is fantastically arranged and pieced together, offering a perfect account of the history of the railways merged with the explanations behind why we have the system we have today, who was responsible and why. The author self-reads this title, and his voice is compelling and alluring, you feel the man really did love the topic and that his whole heart and sole has gone into this one. and it really has. I would easily listen to this again and highly recommend to anyone, be they just wanting an overview from their beginnings to now, or a true railway enthusiast.

Fascinating & Compelling

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