Railways and The Raj

A sweeping history of how railways transformed India under British rule.

India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, exploited for its riches and subjugated by its rulers. How better to achieve these aims than by building a rail network that facilitated the export of raw material and made it easier for troops to travel around the country to tackle uprisings? Christian Wolmar reveals the full story of India's railways, from its very beginnings to the present day.

The railways radically changed the nation but also unwittingly created the preconditions of independence. Their construction contributed to a stirring of nationalist opinion, as resentment grew among the Indian population. Discover how Indians learned to harness the railways and weaponize them against the very people who had put them in place. This much-needed history seeks to demolish a number of infuriating myths. Perfect for readers interested in:

• Indian history
• railway engineering
• the British Raj

Christian Wolmar writes regularly for a wide variety of publications, including the Independent, Evening Standard, and Rail magazine, and appears frequently on TV and radio as a commentator on transport issues. His previous books include the widely-acclaimed The Subterranean Railway; Fire and Steam; Blood, Iron and Gold; Engines of War; The Great Railway Revolution; and To the Edge of the World.