Platform Souls: The Trainspotter as 20th-Century Hero

(Hardback)

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Description

Nicholas Whittaker's much-loved cult classic, first published in 1995, recollects the long sunny days of his childhood when, notepad in hand, jam sandwiches in the rucksack, he happily spent his time jotting down train numbers during the Indian summer of steam and the heyday of diesel.

Twenty years on, Whittaker returns to his roots in this updated, commemorative edition. He casts a sceptical eye over the new glass-roofed Birmingham New Street, catches up with old acquaintances at Clapham Junction, and considers the toll that half a century of ridicule and a couple of decades of privatisation have wrought upon his beloved pastime.

Reviews

Whittaker writes with great warmth and wit and his autobiographical style makes Platform Souls an engaging read, even for those who don't particularly share his love of railways. * Shropshire Review *
the author's words sing off the page * Burton Mail *

Author Bio

Nicholas Whittaker is the author of well-received histories of confectionery (Sweet Talk) and toys (Toys Were Us), as well as an account of life in the offices of Fiesta and Razzle magazines in the 1980s (Blue Period). He has written for the Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Mail and the Sunday Times. He lives in London.