Capturing the spirit of the Isle of Man's narrow gauge network. Its history as well as today's preserved steam railway.

This book, drawing on wide experience of the Isle of Man, describes, interprets and explains the features that make the Island’s physical and human landscapes so distinctive and give it a unique sense of place. Although the editors have taken a strongly geographical approach to their theme, the book is unparalleled in writings on the Isle of Man in the broad range of contributions it has assembled: geology, quaternary science, geomorphology, archaeology, history, natural history, political science, demography, social policy and economics. The book definitively reviews current geographical knowledge relating to the Isle of Man, bringing together hitherto fragmented, scattered and inaccessible work. Particular emphasis is placed upon the way in which geographers are returning to their intellectual roots with a renewed focus on both the distinctiveness and sense of place. By helping readers to understand the processes that formed, and continue to change, the Isle of Man’s unique physical and human landscapes, this book aims both to inform and to enhance enjoyment of the Island.

A breathtaking selection of photographs showcasing railway journeys as a part of the British landscape.

A New History of the Isle of Man will provide a new benchmark for the study of the island’s history. In five volumes, it will survey all aspects of the history of the Isle of Man, from the evolution of the natural landscape through prehistory to modern times. The Modern Period is the first volume to be published. Wide in coverage, embracing political, constitutional, economic, labor, social and cultural developments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the volume is particularly concerned with issues of image, identity and representation. From a variety of angles and perspectives, contributors explore the ways in which a sense of Manxness was constructed, contested, continued and amended as the little Manx nation underwent unprecedented change from debtors’ retreat through holiday playground to offshore international financial center.

Railways played a key role in Britain's social, economic and industrial history. These companies have long since gone, but all over the country relics remain to remind us of that pioneering age. David Wragg's Historical Dictionary of Railways in the British Isles is a comprehensive, single-volume reference guide to the old railway companies and their heritage. He provides brief histories of the companies and their many-sided activities, and he gives biographies of the men who created the rail network. He covers what is now the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland as well as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. His book is essential reading and reference for enthusiasts of every region and period of railway history.

Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914 is a cultural and engineering history of railway building in Japan during the Meiji era. The importance of early railways in the industrialization of the United States and Europe is a fact all of us are familiar with. To witness the amazing parallel development of the railways in Japan, happening at much the same time as America was connecting its vast hinterland to the East and West coasts, is an eye-opening realization. Early Japanese Railways, tells the fascinating story of the rise of Japanese rail amidst a period of rapid modernization during Japan's Meiji era. Leaving behind centuries of stagnation and isolation, Japan would emerge into the 20th century as a leading modern industrialized state. The development of the railways was a significant factor in the cultural and technological development of Japan during this pivotal period. Free's rare photographic and historical materials concerning Japan's early railways, including a print showing the miniature steam engine brought to Japan by Admiral Perry aboard his "Black Ships" to demonstrate American superiority, combine to form a richly detailed account that will appeal to students of Japanese history and railway buffs alike. This one-of-a-kind book, Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914, illuminates for non-Japanese-speaking readers the early history of Japanese railroads and in the process the fascinating story of Japan's prewar industrial modernization. Anyone interested in train history or model trains will find this book a fascinating read.