Metropolitain - by Andrew Martin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

'An utterly enjoyable voyage under Paris' - THE OLDIE
'Delightful and diverting... Martin is the most unpretentious and companionable of guides; the book is great fun' - LITERARY REVIEW
'An eclectic blend of engineering and travelogue, urban planning and anecdote... a sincere love letter' - THE ECONOMIST

Andrew Martin has been described as 'the laureate of railways', having written many books with railway themes. Metropolitain: An Ode to the Paris Metro, is the first English history of the Metro for the general reader.

Metropolitain is as stylish as the Metro itself and laced with cultural references. Andrew explains why Last Tango in Paris is a great Metro film, and what the Metro chase scene in the classic thriller, Le Samourai, says about Parisian culture. We also meet Andrew's half-English, half-French friend, Julian, who runs a society dedicated to Metro history. He tells Andrew, 'A Metro station is like the wine cellar of chateau, which is a very nice thing to be reminded of.'

The book takes the reader on a constant tour of Paris, both underground and over. But Paris, and the Metro, is changing, undergoing a huge expansion. This, and the imminence of the Paris Olympics, make this a timely title.

From the Back Cover

'An eclectic blend of engineering and travelogue, urban planning and anecdote... a sincere love letter' The Economist

Metropolitain is as stylish as the Metro itself and laced with cultural references. Andrew Martin explains why Last Tango in Paris is a great Metro film, and what the Metro chase scene in the classic thriller, Le Samouraï, says about Parisian culture. He describes how he came to appreciate the beauty of Guimard's sinuous green Metro entrances when he bought a lily of the valley and observed it flowering on his desk. We meet Andrew's half-English, half-French friend, Julian, who runs a society dedicated to Metro history. He tells Andrew, 'A Metro station is like the wine cellar of château, which is a very nice thing to be reminded of.'

In Metropolitain, Andrew takes the reader on a tour of Paris, both underground and over, offering a unique look at the city and its Metro as both undergo significant change.

'Delightful and diverting... Martin is the most unpretentious and companionable of guides' Literary Review

Review Quotes

'An utterly enjoyable voyage under Paris'--Christopher Howse, The Oldie

'No tunnel goes unvisited, no track uninspected... it is an eclectic blend of engineering and travelogue, urban planning and anecdote... a sincere love letter'--The Economist

'no tunnel goes unvisited, no track uninspected... it is an eclectic blend of engineering and travelogue, urban planning and anecdote... a sincere love letter'--The Economist

'Andrew Martin's entertaining study of the Parisian underground is a welter of timetables, carriage types, ticket colours and technical savvy'--Telegraph

'Delightful and diverting... Martin is the most unpretentious and companionable of guides; the book is great fun'--Literary Review

About the Author

is a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction books. His non-fiction has sometimes had a railway theme, and his novels include the award-winning 'Jim Stringer' series, set on the railways of early 20th Century Britain. The most recent Stringer novel is Powder Smoke. His most recent non-railway novels are Soot, The Martian Girl and The Winker. His most recent non-fiction book is Yorkshire: There and Back. He also writes and records songs under the name Brunswick Green. Martin's website is jimstringernovels.comjimstringernovels.com.