Thursday 31 May 2012

The Battle of Brookland

The novel opens with the Battle of Brookland on 11 February 1821. The Coast Blockade interrupted an attempted landing at Camber, engaged the smugglers in fierce fighting and then drove them inland across the bleak landscape of Welland Marsh.
from the novel A DEVIL'S DOZEN by Marian Newell.
Buy your copy HERE
Buy the ebook HERE
More about the book
Violence, love, loyalty and betrayal among the smugglers who once terrorised the coasts of southern England. The true tale of the Aldingston Blues Gang retold as a gripping novel.

For ten years the Blues and the Burmarsh Gang fought each other and the Excise Men over the lucrative smuggling trade in Kent. The rivalry was bitter and the stakes were high. When the Excise Men caught the gang landing brandy at Welland more than 300 men were involved in the savage firefight that followed, and 25 men ended spread in a bloody mess on the marsh.

Behind the scenes the feud between the two leading smugglers, George Ransley and James Hogben, is played out in deadly earnest. While their men grow rich, get married or gamble away thier loot, the intense struggle between Ransley and Hogben follows a twisted route through bloodshed, treachery and unsurpassed wealth as the men struggle to control the huge wealth to be gained by being the only smuggling gang supplying goods to the London market.

In this novel, Newel tells in gripping language of the passions and excitement of the days when smugglers ruled the night and law abiding folk hid indoors as the carts and wagons rolled by in the moonlight.

Meticulously researched and based on contemporary court papers and other records, “A Devil’s Dozen” recreates the vanished world of the smugglers and the deadly feud between the leading smugglers that would eventually tear the brotherhood apart and send the smugglers to the gallows or to convict settlements in Australia.

Marian Newell became a technical author in 1986 and started her own writing business with her partner in 1998, through which she covers a wide range of subjects from horticulture to software. Having grown up in the Weald of Kent, she has many childhood memories of the Cinque Ports and their lurid smuggling folklore. She first encountered the Aldington Gang, known as the Blues, while researching her family history. Her great-great-grandfather was a Ransley who emigrated to Canada and disappeared mysteriously, into the stomach of a bear or the arms of another woman according to rumour.

Finding the story of the Blues more thrilling than her ancestry, Marian set out to imagine the drama around events in Aldington in the 1820s. There was plenty of source material, from local historian John Douche’s books of the 1980s to official records, witness statements, newspaper reports and personal journals of the day. Her novel tells the story of the central thirteen men, the Devil’s Dozen of the title, not as it was — something we can never know — but as it might have been.

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Cornelia - the opening


Chapter One


Cornelia lay back in the new hay up in the hayloft and chewed dreamily on a grassy stalk.   Her knees were comfortably bent and her right leg was crossed over left.   Her right sandal was hanging loosely from the end of her toe, which she was slowly bouncing up and down in the shimmering beam of dust motes that hung in the sunlight slanting through the open window hatch.  Hector, her pet dog, lay below on the floor of the barn.
The voice of Paulus drifted clearly to her from across the yard.
“Will this be enough?” he asked as he heaved a large bundle of faggots off his back and dumped them on the ground near the opening of the hypocaust.  From the open side of the barn Cornelia could see the bathhouse at the other side of the yard.  She saw Paulus and noticed how his muscles shone with sweat as he twisted to unload his burden, but could not see the person to whom his question was addressed.  Suddenly a flurry of mouldering leaves and rubbish came out of the fire hole of the hypocaust followed by the rear end of Nicomedes.  His working tunic rose above his nether regions as he crawled backwards exposing his skinny bare backside.  Cornelia giggled quietly to herself.
“That should do for kindling,” he said,” now hitch up the ass and bring over a cartload of charcoal from the store.”
“Oh good,” thought Cornelia,”by tomorrow the bath water should be hot.”
During the hot summer months she did not miss the bath.  Up stream from where the cattle drank her father had had the slaves dig out a large basin where it was possible to swim and bathe in the cool waters. 
The bath was very different.  The walls of these rooms were also heated and were smoothly plastered and bore frescoes of delicate flora and fauna with elegant figures of people her mother told her were Greek gods and goddesses.  The front of the house faced the road but at the back a garden sloped down towards the brook.  In the garden were a number of fruit trees and beyond these were various workshops and slaves quarters.  Nicomedes lived there in a small house with his son, Paulus.  Nicomedes was born into Cornelia’s family but his own father had been brought to Britain by a Roman soldier who had acquired him as part of his booty after a battle in some far off land.  The soldier had fallen on impecunious times due to gambling and had sold his slave to Cornelia’s grandfather.  

Follow the adventures of Cornelia in Roman Britain. Buy your printed copy HERE
Buy your ebook HERE


More about the book:

Can First Love ever by True Love?

A thrilling romance set in Roman Britain that takes the young adult reader to the passionate, turbulent and violent heart of Imperial Rome.

Born into wealth and comfort as the daughter of a wealthy farmer in Roman Britain, Cornelia has everything that a girl could want. But on the passing of her 16th birthday, Cornelia learns that her parents have arranged for her to marry the son of a local landowner. When handsome army officer Marcus appears in her life, Cornelia finds her world turned upside down.

But happiness turns to despair when Marcus and his regiment are posted back to Rome. Determined to follow her new love to find happiness, Cornelia gathers what little money she has and sets out alone for the great Imperial capital of Rome. In the course of her long journey she will meet adventures and dangers in plenty.

But above all she must answer a burning question: Can first love ever be true love? And she finds the answer in a most unexpected place.

The book has been carefully researched to provide an accurate and convincing portrayal of Britain as it was in the mid-2nd century when the Roman Empire was at its most powerful, prosperous and secure.

About the Author
Jane Jones lives in a rural village in Surrey, near to where the novel opens - but some 1800 years later.

 

Tuesday 29 May 2012

A blockade sentinel sees smugglers at work.

A blockade sentinel patrols the beach and calls for assistance when he sees smugglers attempting a landing (taken from 'The Smugglers' by Lord Teignmouth and Charles G. Harper).


From the novel "A Devil's Dozen" by Marian Newell.

Violence, love, loyalty and betrayal among the smugglers who once terrorised the coasts of southern England. The true tale of the Aldingston Blues Gang retold as a gripping novel.

For ten years the Blues and the Burmarsh Gang fought each other and the Excise Men over the lucrative smuggling trade in Kent. The rivalry was bitter and the stakes were high. When the Excise Men caught the gang landing brandy at Welland more than 300 men were involved in the savage firefight that followed, and 25 men ended spread in a bloody mess on the marsh.

Behind the scenes the feud between the two leading smugglers, George Ransley and James Hogben, is played out in deadly earnest. While their men grow rich, get married or gamble away thier loot, the intense struggle between Ransley and Hogben follows a twisted route through bloodshed, treachery and unsurpassed wealth as the men struggle to control the huge wealth to be gained by being the only smuggling gang supplying goods to the London market.

In this novel, Newel tells in gripping language of the passions and excitement of the days when smugglers ruled the night and law abiding folk hid indoors as the carts and wagons rolled by in the moonlight.

Meticulously researched and based on contemporary court papers and other records, “A Devil’s Dozen” recreates the vanished world of the smugglers and the deadly feud between the leading smugglers that would eventually tear the brotherhood apart and send the smugglers to the gallows or to convict settlements in Australia.

Marian Newel has lived all her life in the land where the smugglers once held sway. She grew up hearing the tales of those days and now has written them up in fictionalised form as her first published book. She is the great great granddaughter of one of the smugglers featured.

Buy the paperback HERE

Buy the ebook HERE



Monday 28 May 2012

FINLAND - our first book sale

We have just sold our first book in Finland. Inevitably it was a copy of our Scandinavian thriller, "Vulture's Lair" by the famous Icelandic writer Halllur Hallsson.

Review

"The best book to have come out of Iceland since the Nobel Prize winning "Independent People". Dan Hannan MEP "All in one; horror, thriller and critiquing, written with great ingenuity ... Political novel and futuristic thriller, a modern Orwell's 1984." Hrafn Jokulsson, one of Iceland's most prominent critics. "Vulture's Lair is history, contemporary, futuristic and a thriller." Jon Kr. Snaholm: historian and sociologist at Edinburgh

Product Description

A gripping political thriller set a few years into the future when the EU has become a fully federal superstate. A political elite out of control. A lone man seeking the truth Murder, mayhem and intrigue leading to the Vulture's Lair Brussels. The highest ranking Icelandic official at the United States of Europe, Solman Smithson, hears the voice of his old friend Krummi, who is fighting off armed guards. Krummi and Solman grew up together in the Westman Islands but while Solman became a bureaucrat, Krummi went to sea as one of Iceland's last fishermen. The Vulture is looking down on its prey. The chance encounter takes place as the new president, Erich Devereux, is installed into power. But rumours circulate that corrupt votes put him in power. Murders and violent attacks on journalists and academics proliferate in an apparently unconnected way. And as momentum builds in Iceland for independence from the USE the tempo of violence and intrigue quickens. The Vulture moves toward its prey. Fate decrees that only the big fisherman from the Westman Islands stands in the way of the dark forces of chaos. But can a fisherman from Iceland work out what is really going on. And can he survive long enough to make a difference. The Vulture closes in.

About the Author

Hallur Hallsson is born 1951 in Reykjavik. He graduated from the University of Iceland in English and History. Hallsson is a leading journalist and TV-personality in Iceland. Hallsson was one of the founders of the daily Dagbladid in 1975 which became the second biggest newspaper in Iceland. He was a leading journalist at the influential Morgunbladid and a journalist and anchor at Channel 2 and State Television. Hallsson is now a commentator on the TV station INN.TV. The Vulture's Lair is Hallsson's first novel.

You can buy the paper copy HERE
You can buy the ebook copy HERE



Saturday 26 May 2012

NEW BOOK - The Lambourn Valley Railway

Now out is our new ebook THE LAMBOURN VALLEY RAILWAY. This book brings together all 9 of the books about individual stations on this branch line.

A charming history of one of the long closed rural branch lines on the Great Western Railway. The Lambourn Valley was one of the most quintessentially English branch lines in the days of steam.

The Lambourn Valley Railway was born as an independent little railway that ran from Newbury up Berkshire’s scenic Lambourn Valley to Lambourn. On the way it passed through 9 rural stations and ran through beautiful countryside.

In this book we learn when the line was built and why. The impact the railway had on the surrounding area is explained and the type of freight and passengers that used the station are explained. We also learn about the locomotives, rolling stock, directors, staff and equipment of the railway line.

In 1905 the LVR was taken over by the GWR and the entire branch line was upgraded and brought to GWR standards. The line remained open until 1964, but is now closed, the tracks lifted and the stations gone.

This book is a moving and thoughtful evocation of the days of steam.

The Lambourn Valley Railway is part of the Stations of the Great Western Railway collection published by Bretwalda Books

About the Author
Charles D’Arvelle is a railway enthusiast who has a particular fascination with closed branch lines. He has spent many happy hours tracing the locations of closed stations, abanoned sidings and lost railway tracks. He declares it is a great way to get out and explore the British countryside.

You can join the Facebook Page for these books HERE

You can buy the ebook HERE

Thursday 24 May 2012

The Walnut Tree - a pub with a violent past

In her gripping novel "A Devil's Dozen" author Marian Newell has much of the action take place in and around a pub in Aldington. The Walnut Tree at Aldington, haunt of the Aldington Blues, taken from 'The Smugglers' by Lord Teignmouth and Charles G. Harper. The pub is still there today: www.walnuttree.com. The novel is based on fact. 

You can buy the book HERE
You can buy the ebook HERE


Wednesday 23 May 2012

Video - House of Commons Book Launch

We have now produced an "edited highlights" video of the Book Launch that took place recently at the House of Commons for Hallur Hallsson's gripping political thriller, the novel Vulture's Lair.


Tuesday 22 May 2012

New Book featured in the Daily Mail

Our new book "The Politically Incorrect Lexicon" by Peter Mullen has been featured in the Daily Mail. You can read the on line version of the article HERE.

You can buy the print version of the book HERE
You can buy the ebook version of the book HERE


Monday 21 May 2012

Vulture Video - a must see

Author Hallur Hallsson has sent us this video putting his thrilling political novel, Vulture's Lair, into its historical context. Even if you don't buy the book (which we hope you will) this is a must see video.

You can buy the paperback HERE
You can by the ebook HERE


Sunday 20 May 2012

BOOK REVIEW - The Lambourn Valley Railway


Our book about the Lambourn Valley Railway has been featured on the Lambourn Village Website. In part the review reads:
"In this profusely illustrated book we learn when the line was built and why. The impact the railway had on the surrounding area is explained and the type of freight and passengers that used the station are explained. We also learn about the locomotives,rolling stock, directors, staff and equipment of the railway line."


Read the full review HERE

Saturday 19 May 2012

"Vulture's Lair" - Book Launch at Westminster video part 1

At the House of Commons, Jon Snaeholm and Hallur Hallsson talk about the gripping political thriller "Vulture's Lair' written by Hallur and published by Bretwalda Books.

Friday 18 May 2012

Coins and A Devil's Dozen

One of the things that the author of A Devil's Dozen found difficult to research was the monetary value of items. Sources conflicted and fragmentary evidence for some prices didn't always help with specific elements of the story. In addition, the cost of illicit goods usually differs from other legitimate supplies. This site shows good pictures of the coins of the period.
See Georgian coins HERE
Buy the book HERE 

Wednesday 16 May 2012


Vulture's Lair Launch Event at Parliament

It was standing room only as taut political thriller Vulture's Lair was launched at the House of Commons by Bill Cash MP and Austin Mitchell MP at an event attended by numerous MPs, Lords and other politicians from Britain and abroad.
The launch event was hosted by Bill Cash MP, outspoken Tory critic of the EU, who hailed the book as "A great Eurosceptic novel" and praised Icelandic author Hallur Hallsson  for "producing a great read that clearly sets out the reality of European politics in graphic form.
The meeting was also addressed by Labour MP Austin Mitchell who likened the novel's protagonist, Krummi the fisherman from Iceland, to fishermen he knew in his own constituency of Grimsby.
Also present were Lord Stoddart of Swindon, Douglas Carswell MP, John Whittingdale MP, Mark Reckless MP, Angus MacNeil MP and former MP Chris Gill. Present from Iceland were the leader of the Opposition Independence Party Bjarni Benediktsson - who took time out of his visit to see David Cameron to attend - and journalist for the Morganbladid newspaper Hjortur Gudmundsson
Author Hallur Hallsson said "I am delighted by the reception of my book in Britain. The high number of leading British politicians who attended the launch, and of staff from think tanks and pressure groups, shows that the underlying premise of the book - that the EU is a dark and dangerous organisation - is taken seriously here. The adventures of Krummi the fisherman and Helgi the saga scholar as they seek to uncover the intrigues of the Vulture and to combat a conspiracy of spies, politicians and organised crime in the heart of Brussels shows what is at stake."
Editorial Director of Bretwalda, Rupert Matthews, added "We are very luck to have secured the English language rights for Vulture's Lair. Quite apart from its political setting, it is a gripping action story with twists and turns in the plot right up to the last page. A really gripping read. I congratulate Hallur on producing such an exciting novel and would like to thank everyone who attended our launch event.

About the Author
Hallur Hallsson is born 1951 in Reykjavik. He graduated from the University of Iceland in English and History. Hallsson is a leading journalist and TV-personality in Iceland. Hallsson was one of the founders of the daily Dagbladid in 1975 which became the second biggest newspaper in Iceland. He was a leading journalist at the influential Morgunbladid and a journalist and anchor at Channel 2 and State Television. Hallsson is now a commentator on the TV station INN.TV. The Vulture's Lair is Hallsson's first novel..


About the Book
Title:               Vulture's Lair
Author            Hallur Hallsson
ISBN                978-1907791222
Publisher       Bretwalda Books
Price               £9.99
Kindle and other ebook formats also available                

Vulture's Lair - Photos of Parliamentary Launch

The Palace of Westminster. The launch was held in Westminster Hall on the right of the photo.
Hallur Hallson, Austin Mitchell MP and Bill Cash MP

Launch Party goers

Douglas Carswell MP with his copy of the book
Hallur Hallsson and Austin Mitchell MP
Left to right: Austin Mitchell MP, author Hallur Hallsson, Bill Cash MP, Bjarni Benediktsson

Event at House of Commons

The event for Vulture's Lair held last night at the House of Commons was a great success. Watch this space for videos, photos etc to come.

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Meeting Tonight - Deatils about the book

Review

"The best book to have come out of Iceland since the Nobel Prize winning "Independent People". Dan Hannan MEP "All in one; horror, thriller and critiquing, written with great ingenuity ... Political novel and futuristic thriller, a modern Orwell's 1984." Hrafn Jokulsson, one of Iceland's most prominent critics. "Vulture's Lair is history, contemporary, futuristic and a thriller." Jon Kr. Snaholm: historian and sociologist at Edinburgh

Product Description

A gripping political thriller set a few years into the future when the EU has become a fully federal superstate. A political elite out of control. A lone man seeking the truth Murder, mayhem and intrigue leading to the Vulture's Lair Brussels. The highest ranking Icelandic official at the United States of Europe, Solman Smithson, hears the voice of his old friend Krummi, who is fighting off armed guards. Krummi and Solman grew up together in the Westman Islands but while Solman became a bureaucrat, Krummi went to sea as one of Iceland's last fishermen. The Vulture is looking down on its prey. The chance encounter takes place as the new president, Erich Devereux, is installed into power. But rumours circulate that corrupt votes put him in power. Murders and violent attacks on journalists and academics proliferate in an apparently unconnected way. And as momentum builds in Iceland for independence from the USE the tempo of violence and intrigue quickens. The Vulture moves toward its prey. Fate decrees that only the big fisherman from the Westman Islands stands in the way of the dark forces of chaos. But can a fisherman from Iceland work out what is really going on. And can he survive long enough to make a difference. The Vulture closes in.

About the Author

Hallur Hallsson is born 1951 in Reykjavik. He graduated from the University of Iceland in English and History. Hallsson is a leading journalist and TV-personality in Iceland. Hallsson was one of the founders of the daily Dagbladid in 1975 which became the second biggest newspaper in Iceland. He was a leading journalist at the influential Morgunbladid and a journalist and anchor at Channel 2 and State Television. Hallsson is now a commentator on the TV station INN.TV. The Vulture's Lair is Hallsson's first novel.

Buy the paperback HERE
Buy the ebook HERE

Monday 14 May 2012

Details of our Icelandic speaker

Bjarni Benediktsson, Jr., (born 26 January 1970 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic politician and leader of Icelandic Independence Party.
Bjarni was elected leader of the conservative Independence Party at its national convention on 29 March 2009 with 58.1 percent of the vote, about a month before the April 2009 Icelandic legislative elections.[1] The party came in second in the elections with 16 seats, nine fewer than in the previous elections. After conceding defeat on 26 April 2009, Bjarni said his party had lost the trust of voters. "We lost this time but we will win again later," he said.[2]
The lawyer stems from a family associated with Iceland's political and economic elite.[3]
After obtaining a law degree at the University of Iceland, Bjarni completed his studies in Germany and the United States before returning to Iceland to work as a lawyer. He entered the national parliament in 2003 and has been active in several committees in the areas of economy and taxation, industry and foreign affairs.
Married with three children, his interests include football and fishing.

The event begins at 5.15pm in the IPU Room, just off Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster. Please allow time to get through security.
 


Friday 11 May 2012

Bill Cash MP - now confirmed guest speaker

BILL CASH MP has now confirmed that he will be speaking at the event in the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday 15 May, alongside our best selling author Hallur Hallsson - author of Vulture's Lair.

Everyone is welcome to attend to learn more about the book, about Iceland and about the island nation's relationship with the EU. 

The event begins at 5.15pm in the IPU Room, just off Westminster Hall. Please allow time to get through security.



Thursday 10 May 2012

NEW BOOK - Lambourn Station

A fascinating history of one of the long vanished stations on the Great Western Railway. 

Lambourn Station is no more. There is nothing left on the ground to show that this was once the thriving terminus of an independent railway line, later taken over by the Great Western Railway. The station had a coal yard, engine shed, cattle pens, racehorse loading bays and all the necesseties of a line terminus in the days of steam. The line ran from Lambourn down the valley to the Berkshire town of Newbury. Some of the older residents can still remember the trains coming and going, shunting rolling stock and collecting freight as well as passengers.

In this book we learn when Lambourn Station was built and why. The impact the station had on the surrounding area is explained and the type of freight and passengers that used the station are explained.

The book also takes a look at the types of freight - both heavy and light - transported on the Lambourn Valley Railway (LVR).

In 1905 the LVR was taken over by the GWR and the entire branch line was upgraded and brought to GWR standards. The line remained open until 1964, but is now closed, the tracks lifted and the stations gone. How this station was affected is described.

This book is one of the Lambourn Valley Railway series that looks in detail at the stations along that now closed branch line. The Lambourn Valley Railway series is part of the Stations of the Great Western Railway collection published by Bretwalda Books

Buy your KINDLE edition HERE
Buy other ebook versions HERE

About the Author
Charles D’Arvelle is a railway enthusiast who has a particular fascination with closed branch lines. He has spent many happy hours tracing the locations of closed stations, abanoned sidings and lost railway tracks. He declares it is a great way to get out and explore the British countryside.

Specifications

ISBN    ebook            978-1-907791-83-3
Price    US            $0.99
Price    UK            £0.75p

Monday 7 May 2012

Book Launch Invitation - All Welcome

Invitation

Launching of Vulture’s Lair
by Hallur Hallsson

THE FIRST GREAT EUROSCEPTIC NOVEL
THAT THE WORLD
HAS BEEN WAITING FOR

Introduction:
Jón Kristinn Snaeholm, BA, MSc
former vice chairman of
European Young Conservatives
Hallur Hallsson,
author of Vulture‘s Lair

Distinguished guests:
Bjarni Benediktsson, MP
Chairman of Iceland‘s Independent Party
Bill Cash, MP
Chairman of European Foundation

Buy the paperback HERE
Buy the ebook HERE

Book Launch - All Welcome


Wednesday 2 May 2012

First ebook sale of May 2012

Our first ebook sale this month was "How the Steam Railways Came to Surrey" by Rupert Matthews.





Buy your Kindle version HERE
Buy other ebook formats HERE
Buy the paperback HERE

Product Description

When I was a boy I lived overlooking the main railway line from London to Southampton. It had been built in 1838 by the London and Southampton Railway, later to become the famous London and South Western Railway (LSWR). From our front garden you could see the trains thundering back and forth along the embankment that ran like a stripe across the landscape. By then, of course, the glory days of steam in Surrey were long gone. It was electric trains that raced back and forth. But the odd steam train did go by, the plume of smoke drifting up into the air to disperse over the landscape.

The railways came to Surrey in the 1840s and they were still being built in the 1930s, making Surrey most unusual among the counties of England. Across most of the country, railway building had ground to a halt long before the line to Chessington was opened in 1939, complete with suitably modernistic station architecture.

Those railways were to have a dramatic impact on the landscapes, people and economy of Surrey. Indeed, the Surrey that we see today has been largely created by the railways. It is no exaggeration to say that more than any other county in England, Surrey has been built on railways.

About the Author
Rupert Matthews has written over 150 books for different publishers, achieving significant sales in a variety of markets both in the UK and abroad. His works have been translated into 19 languages and have been shortlisted for a number of awards. Rupert has been a freelance writer for 20 years, working in-house at a major book publisher before going freelance.

From the Author

I grew up overlooking the mainline from London to Southampton that cuts like a swathe through Surrey. I was thrilled to write this book, bringing back as it does so many memories of the old days.

From the Back Cover

When I was a boy I lived overlooking the main railway line from London to Southampton. It had been built in 1838 by the London and Southampton Railway, later to become the famous London and South Western Railway (LSWR). From our front garden you could see the trains thundering back and forth along the embankment that ran like a stripe across the landscape. By then, of course, the glory days of steam in Surrey were long gone. It was electric trains that raced back and forth. But the odd steam train did go by, the plume of smoke drifting up into the air to disperse over the landscape. The railways came to Surrey in the 1840s and they were still being built in the 1930s, making Surrey most unusual among the counties of England. Across most of the country, railway building had ground to a halt long before the line to Chessington was opened in 1939, complete with suitably modernistic station architecture.
Those railways were to have a dramatic impact on the landscapes, people and economy of Surrey. Indeed, the Surrey that we see today has been largely created by the railways. It is no exaggeration to say that more than any other county in England, Surrey has been built on railways.

About the Author

Rupert Matthews has written over 150 books for different publishers, achieving significant sales in a variety of markets both in the UK and abroad. His works have been translated into 19 languages and have been shortlisted for a number of awards. Rupert has been a freelance writer for 20 years, working in-house at a major book publisher before going freelance.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

When I was a boy I lived on the north facing hill outside Esher that overlooks the main line from London to Portsmouth and Southampton. It had been built in 1838 by the London and Southampton Railway, later to become the famous London and South Western Railway (LSWR). From our front garden you could see the trains thundering back and forth along the embankment that ran like a stripe across the landscape. By then, of course, the glory days of steam in Surrey were long gone. It was electric trains that raced back and forth. But the odd steam train did go by, the plume of smoke drifting up into the air to disperse over the landscape.
Years later I was living down by the River Thames and commuting up to London by train from Surbiton along that self same LSWR mainline where I had grown up. Day after day I trudged up the hill to the striking inter-wars station to get on to one of the many commuter trains running up to Waterloo. By then all the steam trains had gone, but the mark of them was everywhere. The site of the water tower, the blackened undersides of the bridges and the engine sheds. I often wondered what Surrey had been like back in the days of steam.
My Uncle George had been a senior fireman on the LNER line running north from London. He used to tell me about his days on the footplate. He told me how he had started off as a teenager in the shed scrubbing and cleaning, gradually working his way up to be a fireman, first on shunters, then on local trains and finally on the great express trains that thundered along the main lines, belching smoke and steam as they powered up and down from London to York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. But I think he had preferred the country lines with their quiet stations, bunnies hopping in the fields and old-style station masters.
Surrey had been like that once. The railways came to Surrey in the 1840s and they were still being built in the 1930s, making Surrey most unusual among the counties of England. Across most of the country, railway building had ground to a halt long before the line to Chessington was opened in 1939, complete with suitably modernistic station architecture. Moreover, Surrey suffered only one line closure in the Beeching years, leaving over 90% of its railway lines open and operating into the 21st century. Surrey is most fortunate from the railway point of view.
Those railways were to have dramatic impact on the landscapes, people and economy of Surrey. Indeed, the Surrey that we see today has been largely created by the railways. It is no exaggeration to say that more than any other county in England, Surrey has been built on railways.
This book sets out to describe How the Steam Railways came to Surrey. That age of steam in Surrey is remembered fondly by thousands. The fans of steam recall the many different locomotives that hurried along the lines, the travellers recall the grimy grit of smoke and steam filling carriages in summer when the windows were down, and all county residents look back on a less hurried time when the demands of a globalised world were still in the future and the good folk of Surrey could potter about their own business in their own way. I have spoken to dozens of them while researching this book. I am sorry that I missed the heyday of steam in Surrey, but glad that I did at least come in for the last few glimmers that reflected the glory days of long ago.
Since 1965 the county has lost the rough square shape that it had for most of its history. The northeastern corner of the county was in that year sliced off and handed over to London on the grounds that it had been covered by a vast suburban sprawl that belonged more to outer London than to Surrey. The county originally stretched along the south bank of the Thames to Southwark and Rotherhithe, but now stops before it reaches Croydon or Sutton. Even the County Hall, seat of the County Council, is outside of Surrey these days as it stands in Kingston upon Thames, now a London borough. This book deals with Surrey as it is now.