Sidney Gilliat
ASIN: B00N89F56O
Publisher: unknown
Pages: 238
The building of the Railways in the 19th century entirely changed the face of Europe but nowhere more so than in England. OFF THE RAILS perfectly characterises the chaos associated with its beginning. While being astonishingly witty, this meticulously researched work simultaneously provides a brilliant encapsulation of the plethora of endeavours that triggered the railway mania. The wildly comic and constantly changing fortunes of the hero, Major Robarts, possibly an Indian Army deserter from the ranks ~ one is never quite sure....~ and the villainy of the entrepreneur Nutcombe mixes the insanity of the period with penetrating observations on greed, profiteering and sexual ambition. A glimpse of the frequency of duplicity to achieve the staggering financial rewards open to them illuminates a fascinating study of the many rich and varied characters involved in the proposed construction ...