A beautifully illustrated and comprehensive history of the world's greatest railway maps, and the railways behind them. 'The romance of the overground railway pours from the edges of many of the images in Great Railway Maps . . . a heady mixture of design, history, geography and - more often than not - usefulness.' Will Dean, Independent 'This is one for the true drooler, page after page of track splendour from Algeria to Japan. In the UK, the 19th-century railway spreads through the country like shattering glass, but other maps are more leisurely and scenic . . . the reader may imagine themselves at every stop.' Simon Garfield, Guardian 'I hugely enjoyed poring over Mark Ovenden's Great Railway Maps of the World, beautifully produced and illustrated.' Richard J. Evans, New Statesman Books of the Year 'If you love railways or know someone who does . . . this is the book for you.' Robert Elms, BBC London