Customer Reviews

First Class: Legendary Train Journeys Around the World

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"First Class: Legendary Train Journeys Around The World" by Patrick Poivre d'Arvor is a truly elegant book showcasing eleven fabled railroad lines during the golden age of train travel around the world. Featured among these iconic railroads are the Toy Train of Darjeeling and its route along the Himalayan mountains; the fabled Orient Express; the mimosa-scented Train Blue, and the now legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. The informed and informative text is liberally enhanced with the inclusion of historic and contemporary photographs (245 in full-color and 30 in black-and-white) and artifacts, maps, and quotations about these railroads taken from the literature of the world. Superbly organized and featuring its own slipcased box in the form of a steamer trunk, "First Class" is especially recommended to the attention of railroad history buffs.

I, along with a close friend, LOVE train rides...all over the world. I was searching for "the" Christmas gift this year, and after doing some homework, I discovered First Class. What a lovely, impressive book that truly celebrates all the obvious and subtle aspects of train rides. The photos were amazing, and I especially loved the maps that introduced each of the legendary trips. I have only taken one of these trips, so this Christmas, I received extra incentive to eagerly start planning ten more! I'm appreciative of an author whose love and passion in the topic so clearly comes through. A great editorial and photographic discovery! After opening it, my friend spent 15 minutes leafing through, just amazed at how enjoyable this book will be to explore, read and enjoy.

This book is fine armchair traveling. There are brief descriptions of each well-known rail journey and then pages of pics to thrill and tweak the imagination. Don't rush through the volume just because you can. Read each section, then let your mind wander and see what surprising and exciting ideas come forth. Reinvent yourself as a modern globetrotter or turn-of-the-century explorer. All good. The only disappointment I had was that the emphasis was on historical pics. Certainly, the project was expensive (given the number of color pics and elegant slipcover), but perhaps the answer would have been to make this a two volume set. More space could have been given to each journey. I can't imagine that anyone who picked up volume one wouldn't quickly grab the second volume as well. Still, it's a great escape and worth every minute that you're "gone."