First Class: Legendary Train Journeys Around the World

by Patrick Poivre d'Arvor

This enchanting book, which comes with a slipcase designed to resemble a steamer trunk, takes readers on memorable journeys on the Orient Express, le Train Bleu, the California Zephyr, and others across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Readers encounter the elegant porters and bellboys as well as the beautifully dressed millionaires, kings, and maharajas who were their clients.

The great old and new trains are all here, and a reader can feel the gentle sway and anticipate the delicious dinner about to be served in a plush and paneled dining car. There are maps showing the routes of the great expresses, quotations from famous literary figures, and images of some of the beautiful destinations they reached. This is a perfect gift for train buffs and world travelers.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History

360 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Patrick Poivre d'Arvor (born Patrick Poivre) is a French TV journalist and writer. He is a household name in France, and nicknamed PPDA. With over 30 years and in excess of 4,500 editions of television news to his credit, he was one of the longest serving newsreaders in the world until he was fired in 2008. He presented his last newscast on TF1 on 10 July 2008.

Reviews

[Vicky Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laying Rails Where Llamas Walk and Lions Devour

"...this train was part of the country through which it passed." - F. Scott Fitzgerald quoted

Each railway line in this fascinating book is as unique as the animals spotted from the train car windows: ostriches, elephants, buffalo, or llamas. From the 'Silver Lady' as the California Zephyr is called, traveling across continent from San Francisco to Chicago with its Zephyrettes and Vista Domes; to the wild and scenic Canadian, traversing from sea to sea in the North, the book shares the lines that connected our new world and brought its people together as nations. The Siberian Express and the Orient Express transports peoples between continents. And, some of these trains served a more limited role of luxury within a small region; like the Lunatic Line or the Palace on Wheels. And still others opened up the African continent to the rest of the world. Within each of these stories, the human element of displaced peoples, and booming industry are described... the human effect of the railroad. Also, you get the full view of man-eating Tsavo lions which considered the Kenyan railway builders regular 'meals on wheels.'

"On a single track, at times coursing along a narrow ledge carved from a mountain side by men lowered from the top in baskets, overhanging ravines from 2,000 to 3,000 feet deep, the monster train snaked its way upwards..." - Isabella L. Bird quoted

Oddly, the original pull of these Industrial Era wagons was their speed, something which ultimately led to their decline when eclipsed and outpaced by personal motorcars and planes. Today, we see many of these historic lines being rescued and put back in service, at least to an extent, for nostalgic tourism.

Trains served a purpose for decades. It was the forward thinking ingenuity of the railwaymen, and a certain perseverance that led them to the determination to mold transport lines across the countrysides of the continents. But, these trains were a part of the country through which they passed, tied to the land and limited by the existing network. A comparison can be seen in today's television cable and satellite services. Though they were seen as novel and entertaining in their heyday, Americans have been continuously turning away from these landlocked services to internet based subscriptions, because they can watch what they want, when they want with Netflix or Amazon Prime. The last quarter alone saw a loss of another 1 million subscribers to land based networks like cable. Unlike the railroads, I do not see those being brought back in the future, so long as people can choose. One must wonder though, how long the Earth can support Earth-based infrastructure like a rail system above ground, and power cables above ground. At some point, that becomes over-immersive, or we reach a saturation point.

Progress and change are good in many ways, but some things are best enjoyed at a slower pace. Travel by trains will probably meet the needs of the leisurely traveler indefinitely... or at least until we get those hovercars.

This little hardback book is of an odd shape, like that of a steamer trunk. It even comes with a steamer trunk box case. But, it is not a short book at almost 400 pages. About half of that is beautiful full page, and two-page spread panoramic photographs of the legendary railways it describes. If you love trains, you will find many hours of enjoyment from the photos alone. But, each line includes several pages of information and description, as well as quotes from well-known travelogue writers and travelers from the golden age of trains. These provide a glimpse into the experience that riding on these luxury lines gave in those days. Also, all the photos have lengthy captions that explain the context very well. When I first received it in the mail, I immediately went through the book from cover to cover first looking at all the photos, and maps of the routes. Then I went back and read the whole book from front to finish. I am sure I will many more times in the future. I can't recommend it enough for people who enjoy trains. There are not enough stars to give this book.

I read this book for no reason whatsoever, but that it allowed me to wander mentally across every inhabited continent... something I've made a practice of doing in my current meandering track of train books this year.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at Rizolli books during a recent business trip to NYC. My brother thinks it is eccentric, but it's terrific for browsing-- lots of old photos, illustrations, modern updates as well; and it's laid out in an entertaining fashion. This is one to read here and there, in bits and pieces, for years. It is clearly written, an added bonus.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far... gorgeous production with recent and historic pictures. Great escapism. I want to go on many of the journeys, though not sure what my top pick would be. Perhaps trans-continental Canada.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book. A must-read for train lovers!