Synopses & Reviews
In this lavishly illustrated memoir, William D. Middleton invites readers to climb aboard and share with him 60 years of railroad tourism around the globe. Middleton's award-winning photography has recorded events such as the final days of American Civil War locomotives in Morocco and the start up of the world's first high-speed railway in Japan. He has photographed such great civil works as Scotland's Firth of Forth Bridge and the splendid railway station at Haydarpasa on the Asian side of the Bosporus, while closer to home he has been recognized for his significant contribution to the photographic interpretation of North America's railroading history. On Railways Far Away presents over 200 of Middleton's favorite photographs and the personal stories behind the images. It is a book that will delight both armchair travelers and those for whom the railroads still hold romance.
Review
"William D. Middleton will go down as the only producer of popular railroad history
... who was able to present such a broad coverage of railways during
his lifetime.
To my way of thinking, there has never been a person with his wide range of
talents (as a researcher, writer, and photographer), his personal discipline to be a
steady producer of historical publications, and his unrivaled zeal to record railroad
activity in interesting spots around the globe. Many have excelled in one or even
two of these categories, but no one has ever come close to his overall record.
It will take a generation for the breadth, depth, and significance of his total
contribution to be appreciated.
" --J. Parker Lamb, Author of Railroads of Meridian (IUP, 2012) Indiana University Press Indiana University Press
Review
"In addition to the careful research that went into his writing, Middleton was a gifted photographer who had an eye for creating interesting "trainscape" scenes.... Unknowingly with this book, Middleton managed to save his best effort for last - a volume that is sure to please anyone who enjoys exceptional photography and a good story." --Michigan Railfan Indiana University Press
Review
"[T]his hard-bound collection of photographs is an apt memorial to a man who was known to say, 'yet there isn't a train I wouldn't catch.'" --Rail Magazine
Review
"Few American chroniclers of the international railroad scene have shown the versatility and insight of William D. Middleton. As an author and a photographer (not to mention a professional engineer), he demonstrated an uncanny ability to connect all the dots in railroading, from all corners of the world. In this book he does it with an inimitable personal touch." --Kevin P. Keefe, Publisher, Classic Trains magazine
About the Author
William D. Middleton (1928-2011) authored more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on rail transportation, engineering, and travel topics. He was editor (with George M. Smerk and Roberta L. Diehl) of Encyclopedia of North American Railroads (IUP, 2007) and author (with William D. Middleton III) of Frank Julian Sprague: Electrical Inventor and Engineer (IUP, 2009).
Table of Contents
Preface: "On Railways Far Away"
Chapter 1. Western Europe Trains
Chapter 2. Far Northern Railways
Chapter 3. On the North Edge of Africa
Chapter 4. Across the Middle East from Berlin to Baghdad
Chapter 5. Trains of the Far East
Chapter 6. Meter Gauge in Southeast Asia
Chapter 7. A Glimpse of Australia
Chapter 8. Railway People