Tying in with a BBC2 series, this book comprises accounts of six international train adventures undertaken by well-known personalities. Chat-show host Clive Anderson travels from Hong Kong to Mongolia; ballerina Natalia Makarova from St Petersburg to Tashkent; anti-apartheid author Rian Malan from Cape Town to Bophutatswana; actor and former Monty Python man Michael Palin from Derry to Kerry; novelist Lisa St Aubin de Teran from Santos to Santa Cruz; and BBC reporter Mark Tully from Karachi to the Khyber Pass. By using rail as his or her means of transport, each author was able to meet the people of a continent and witness changing cultures on the journey.

2000-03-12 Stories to travel by

An enjoyable, light read, this is an excellent accompaniment to the television series. Michael Palin's section, as ever, displays his warmth and ability to turn what could be a mundane railway journey into a nice little adventure. The other sections of the book are just as readable, all-in-all making for something to read at night or on a long journey. A nice way to see the world from your armchair, bringing back and adding to childhood memories of train journies.