Summary

Paul Theroux decided to board every train that chugged into view, ‘from Victoria Station to Tokyo Central; to take the branch line to Simla, the spur through the Khyber Pass and the chord line that links Indian Railways with those of Ceylon; the Mandalay Express, the Malaysian Golden Arrow, the locals in Vietnam and the trains with bewitching names, the Orient Express, the North Star, the Trans-Siberian.’ The result is the story of an adventure fuelled by the romance of the railways.

Paul Theroux decided to board every train that chugged into view, ‘from Victoria Station to Tokyo Central; to take the branch line to Simla, the spur through the Khyber Pass and the chord line that links Indian Railways with those of Ceylon; the Mandalay Express, the Malaysian Golden Arrow, the locals in Vietnam and the trains with bewitching names, the Orient Express, the North Star, the Trans-Siberian.’ The result is the story of an adventure fuelled by the romance of the railways. ‘In the fine old tradition of purposeless travel for fun and adventure . . . compulsive reading’ Graham Green ‘More than a rich and original entertainment. His people, places and asides will stay a long time jostling in the mind of the reader’ V. S. Pritchett ‘One of the most entertaining books I have read’ Angus Wilson