PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Andrew Martin has been described as 'the laureate of railways', having written many books with railway themes. But he has always been obsessed with the Paris Metro. His latest book, Metropolitain: An Ode to the Paris Metro, is the first English history of the Metro for the general reader.
Metropolitain is as stylish as the Metro itself and laced with cultural references. Martin explains why Last Tango in Paris is a great Metro film, and what the Metro chase scene in the classic thriller, Le Samourai, says about Parisian culture.
He describes how he came to appreciate the beauty of Guimard's sinuous green Metro entrances when he bought a lily of the valley and observed it flowering on his desk. We meet his half-English, half-French friend, Julian, who runs a society dedicated to Metro history and says: "A Metro station is like the wine cellar of chateau, which is a very nice thing to be reminded of."
The book takes the reader on a tour of Paris, both underground and above ground. But Paris, and the Metro, is changing - undergoing a huge expansion. This transformation, together with the Paris Olympics in July 2024, make this a timely title.
ANDREW MARTIN is a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction books. His non-fiction has sometimes had a railway theme, and his novels include the award-winning 'Jim Stringer' series, set on the railways of early 20th Century Britain. The most recent Stringer novel is Powder Smoke. His most recent non-railway novels are Soot, The Martian Girl and The Winker. His most recent non-fiction book is Yorkshire: There and Back. He also writes and records songs under the name Brunswick Green. Martin's website is jimstringernovels.comjimstringernovels.com
'An utterly enjoyable voyage under Paris' * Christopher Howse, THE OLDIE * 'Andrew Martin's entertaining study of the Parisian underground is a welter of timetables, carriage types, ticket colours and technical savvy' * Telegraph * 'no tunnel goes unvisited, no track uninspected... it is an eclectic blend of engineering and travelogue, urban planning and anecdote... a sincere love letter' * The Economist * 'Delightful and diverting... Martin is the most unpretentious and companionable of guides; the book is great fun' * Literary Review *
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