India by Rail [Hardcover]

Royston Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1997

A 3rd edition of this handbook on visiting India by train, which combines anecdote with evocative description, provides details on how to plan a trouble-free journey and includes a special chapter for steam enthusiasts.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A practical planner and fuel for the finest kind of armchair fantasy. The Times. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Travel by rail in India is the safest, simplest, and most enjoyable way of seeing the country. The modern trains that have largely replaced the old steam locomotives are particularly comfortable and fast, but enthusiasts will also find in this edition that the traditional steam trains are still running.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Globe Pequot Pr; 3rd edition (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762700106
• ISBN-13: 978-0762700103
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,886,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ROYSTON ELLIS is a British-born author of some 50 published books who has lived in Sri Lanka since 1980 where he writes in a century-old cottage overlooking the Indian Ocean. His first book, a sequence of poems called Jiving To Gyp, was published by Scorpion Press in 1959, when he was 18. Until 1961 he performed his poems on stage and TV to rock music (Rocketry) backed by The Shadows, Jimmy Page and a group that later became famous as The Beatles (whom he named). After living in the Channel Islands and the Canary Islands he moved to Dominica in 1966 where, as Richard Tresillian, he wrote the best-selling Bondmaster series of historical novels. He specialises now in books with Indian Ocean settings, including the Bradt guides to Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka. (www.roystonellis.com)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're into trains this is a great book, August 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: India by Rail, 3rd (Bradt Rail Guides) (Paperback)

It's been very useful in planning our trip, gives you types of service available, how long it takes from A - B and how to cope once you get there. We are purchasing tickets through a guy in Wembley, UK, that they recommended and it's all been true so far It's nice to get some specific advise, especially when you're trying to work out a route and timetable.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very user-friendly guide to India's railroads, August 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: India by Rail, 3rd (Bradt Rail Guides) (Paperback)

As a long-standing fan of the Indian rail system, I find this book a guide which will be very useful for any foreign tourist who plans to travel by train in India. Packed with many useful tips, especially about the numerous regulations which one needs to know about. However, the writer errs somewhat in describing rail officials as being universally friendly and helpful; I am sure that most frequent travellers (Indian or foreign) might not agree with this. Strongly recommended to anyone interested in India's railroads.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's useful, but . . . ., December 24, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: India by Rail, 3rd (Bradt Rail Guides) (Paperback)

I can't quite give it the rave reviews that other readers have given, but it is probably the best book currently available on the subject. It does have quite a bit of useful information, though I didn't find it all that well organized and the author even repeats himself in places. I would have loved more detailed information on the trains themselves (from a passenger's perspective) and some illustrations if not photos. The author seems overly preoccupied with alcoholic beverages and I found his frequent references to the subject annoying. His few recommendations for accomodations were somewhat bizarre: five star hotels and low-budget places with almost nothing in-between. I'm not quite sure why he bothered with any.