In a series of brilliant portraits James Meek shows how Britain's common wealth became private, and the impact it has had on us all. In a series of panoramic accounts, Meek explores the human stories behind the incremental privatization of the nation over the last three decades. As our national assets are being sold, the new buyers reap the rewards, and the ordinary consumer is left to pay the ever rising bill. Urgent, powerfully written and deeply moving, 'Private Island is a passionate anatomy of the state of the nation for readers of Chavs and Whoops!.

    Indonesian Ferry Sinks.  Peruvian Bus Plunges Off Cliff.  African Train Attacked by Mobs.  Whenever he picked up the newspaper, Carl Hoffman noticed those short news bulletins, which seemed about as far from the idea of tourism, travel as the pursuit of pleasure, as it was possible to get.  So off he went, spending six months circumnavigating the globe on the world's worst conveyances: the statistically most dangerous airlines, the most crowded and dangerous ferries, the slowest buses, and the most rickety trains.  The Lunatic Express takes us into the heart of the world, to some its most teeming cities and remotest places: from Havana to Bogotá on the perilous Cuban Airways.  Lima to the Amazon on crowded night buses where the road is a washed-out track.  Across Indonesia and Bangladesh by overcrowded ferries that kill 1,000 passengers a year.  On commuter trains in Mumbai so crowded that dozens perish daily, across Afghanistan as the Taliban closes in, and, scariest of all, Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., by Greyhound.The Lunatic Express is the story of traveling with seatmates and deckmates who have left home without American Express cards on conveyances that don't take Visa, and seldom take you anywhere you'd want to go.   But it's also the story of traveling as it used to be -- a sometimes harrowing trial, of finding adventure in a modern, rapidly urbanizing world and the generosity of poor strangers, from ear cleaners to urban bus drivers to itinerant roughnecks, who make up most of the world's population.  More than just an adventure story, The Lunatic Express is a funny, harrowing and insightful look at the world as it is, a planet full of hundreds of millions of people, mostly poor, on the move and seeking their fortunes.

    So, he decided to take a year off and ride the rails. Equipped with rummage-store clothing, a bedroll, and a few other belongings, he hops a freight train in St. Louis, becoming a tramp in order to discover their peculiar culture. The men and women he meets along the way are by turns generous and mistrusting, resourceful and desperate, philosophical and profoundly cynical. And the narrative he creates of his travels with them is unforgettable and moving.

    Thirteen specially commissioned short stories from the master of historical crime fiction Edward Marston, following his quick witted protagonist Inspector Colbeck.Brand new and exclusive short stories which are sure to delight Marston's army of devoted fans.

    Thomas is excited, but some of the other engines are afraid of being so high. Can Thomas help them get over their fears–or will he become afraid, too?

    All aboard! But best of all is riding a real train to visit someone special--and playing with more trains there! Simple yet evocative prose and pictures make this a delightful read for the youngest train enthusiasts.

    Then Charles Loring Brace, a young minister in New York City, started the Children’s Aid Society and devised a plan to give these homeless waifs a chance at finding families they could call their own. Thus began an extraordinary migration of American children. Between 1854 and 1929, an estimated 200,000 children ventured forth on a journey of hope. Here, in the sequel to Orphan Train Rider: One Boy’s True Story, Andrea Warren introduces nine men and women who rode the trains and helped make history so many years ago.

    Using a refreshingly simple approach, Paul Collicutt has crafted the perfect book for young railroad enthusiasts. Each page features a vividly colored and detailed painting of a train, and the spreads show how they are different -- long and short, fast and slow, old and new. As a bonus, full-color endpapers feature captioned renderings of real-life engine models from all over the world that were the inspirations for the trains depicted throughout the book.

    And when the mysterious Heartbreak Diamond goes missing, Max must find her feet in a whirling world of would-be diamond smugglers, thieves and undercover detectives. Will she discover the real diamond thief before they reach theirdestination? Or does the answer lie closer to home...

    A pine tree grew in the farthest corner of the tree farm on a small patch of land that bordered the train track. The tree loved trains. She loved to watch them ZOOM by on the tracks beside the tree farm. Her branches would ripple in the wind as the trains roared past.But one morning, when a little boy picks her to be his Christmas tree, she is uprooted and brought to a home far from the ZOOMING trains she loves…Beautiful art from Paola Zakimi brings to life this lovely Christmastime tale from Annie Silvestro, perfect for readers who love The Giving Tree and The Velveteen Rabbit.

    All aboard as the train journeys through a town, past workers repairing the rails and into the station. With simple text and vibrant illustrations, readers will learn about a variety of trains and what they do. Trains Board Book "will delight the youngest and have enough meat for older preschoolers and beginning readers" (Kirkus Reviews).Supports the Common Core State Standards

    As in the highly acclaimed Skating to Antarctica, Diski has created a seamless and seemingly effortless amalgam of reflections and revelation in a unique combination of travelogue and memoir.

    Little train lovers with a one-track mind will gain a new affinity for their bedtime routine when they find they share it with their favorite vehicles.

    A high-class, transcontinental horse-racing junket should be an idyllic getaway for the super-rich.But one passenger on this train is a sociopath, a genius at blackmail and criminal corruption—and he plans to take everyone for everything they've got.

    Here comes the train. And it’s rolling down the tracks in this vibrant picture book! Follow it along and count the birds that join the trip. All aboard, and all join in as the cheerful little train chugs past the seaside, the farm, the forest, the city, and into the station for a nice long rest. Along the way, a flock of noisy seagulls and blackbirds, pigeons and geese hop on for the ride. Kids will have fun looking at Emma Garcia’s colorful, collaged landscapes and counting all the honking, cooing, tweeting birds.