Embarking on the pages of "Rail Journeys" by David Ross was nothing short of a thrilling escapade, where every turn of the page unfolded a new adventure through some of the world's most breathtaking landscapes. As a fervent lover of both photography and trains, this book was an absolute treasure trove that left me yearning to step aboard each journey it vividly depicted.

The synopsis alone promises a global odyssey, and "Rail Journeys" delivers on that and more. From the elegance of the Orient Express snaking its way from London to Istanbul to the Trans-Siberian conquering the vastness of Mongolia and Russia, each journey is a symphony of beauty, romance, and engineering marvels. The Brazilian rainforest, the Canadian Rockies, the Mexican Copper Canyon—these are not just destinations but captivating stories written on the railways.

As a photography enthusiast, the 210 outstanding color photographs in this book were a visual feast. Each image not only captured the essence of the landscapes but also conveyed the spirit of adventure that accompanies rail travel. The juxtaposition of the sleek Shinkansen 'Bullet Train' against the backdrop of Mount Fuji was nothing short of mesmerizing, and I found myself lost in the allure of each photograph.

What sets "Rail Journeys" apart is its ability to transport you not just across geographical landscapes but through time and emotions. It's not merely a collection of train routes; it's an invitation to embark on a romantic and astounding exploration of rail travel at its zenith. The engineering marvels of the Konkan Railway in India or the breathtaking views from 'El Chepe' in the Mexican Copper Canyon—they all add layers to the richness of this experience.

Having a penchant for both beauty and adventure, this book became a cherished companion. I found myself yearning to board the Coast Starlight along the Pacific coast, traverse the Transcontinental railroad through the Canadian Rockies, and witness the stunning views from the Serra Verde Express in the Brazilian rainforest. "Rail Journeys" is more than a book; it's an aspiration, a yearning to experience the romance and awe-inspiring moments that rail travel offers.

In sum, "Rail Journeys" by David Ross is a magnificent celebration of the world's most historic, spectacular, and remote locations, all seen from the unique vantage point of a train window. A definitive recommendation for fellow enthusiasts of both photography and the timeless allure of train journeys.

I really enjoyed reading and looking at this book. The book is filled with wonderful photographs of train journeys, trains and train stations around the world. There is a little text but the photographs are the focus. Enjoy the armchair travel.

Really nice images of the trains, some of the tracks and other images. Nice for the train lovers, a little bit for the traveller.

I was expecting something very particular when I started this book. This is entirely my fault, and my review and rating of the book reflect this. I read a digital review copy, probably not the best way to peruse through train journeys. I was hoping for an in-depth look at different train compartments and facilities they provided or the varying views from the windows as the trains made their journeys. What I got was somewhere between the two, leaving me dissatisfied.
I must state that if I was holding a big hardback book of these photos in my hand, my review would definitely change since some of the journeys did look gorgeous.
We are taken to different countries, sometimes their train stations and their history was discussed, at others the train itself and for some, it was the treacherous or fascinating terrains that these trips cut across. Each photo comes with a short caption containing the respective information. It did not satisfy me, a person who misses travelling by sleeper carriages in Indian Railways. Those travels filled my childhood (I have many an interesting tale, I once thought I could write a book about it!), and given the changes in our 'new normals' and the fact that I haven't been 'home' in two years, may not happen any time soon. I thought this might fill that gap, but I was asking too much from this.
I would recommend it to anyone with an artistic or academic interest in looking up an overview of the railways as a whole. This book has enough details to start an investigative journey for anyone who wants to go further.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This was an absolute treat of a book! The most amazing scenery and backdrops to some of the most spectacular rail journeys around the globe. You don't need to be a train spotter to appreciate the engineering excellence and every photo in this book shows off the world of rail travel to perfection!

There's a mix of terrains featured, beautiful stations, signage, old equipment and the trains themselves - I especially loved the steam train photos!

Alongside the stunning photography, there's also many amazing facts and background information to each location and it was just a brilliant way to learn more about the rail journeys alongside the breathtaking photographs and marvel at the staggering feats of engineering! A beautiful book!

These pictures are stunning and I learned so much about railways. One thing for sure is I’m not brave enough to take the rails in Europe. This is a wonderful book to give as a gift to any train lover!

Stunning photos give a sense of awe at the achievements of those involved in developing the railways throughout the world. The pictures of beautiful bridges, viaducts and carefully constructed tracks in precarious places, across all kinds of terrain, are impressive. Equally impressive are the wonderful and vast variety of railway stations. I enjoyed reading about the history of railways. A thoroughly enjoyable look at railways around the world. Thank you to David Ross, Net Galley and Amber Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book combines artistic photography (the perspectives are especially interesting) and bits of information about all sorts of trains and train routes. There are also many photographs of rail stations and rail bridges around the world, with a variety of architectural styles. I enjoyed looking at the photos and wish that rail travel were more common here in the US.

My grandfather worked on the railroad for most of his life, often taking me to see them even after his retirement, and I currently live near a heritage railroad museum, so trains have had at least a minor role in life for as long as I can remember. As a result, I love them almost as much as he did.

Rail Journeys is a beautifully illustrated book. It was a pleasure seeing the beautiful stations, structures, and of course the trains from around the world. I do wish there was a little more history or information included in the captions, but even so they are clear and enlightening.

This would be a great coffee table book for anyone who is interested in trains, travel, history… with all the photographs, I think it would even be a great picture book for kids who love trains.

I’m grateful to Amber Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Rail Journeys.

This book is right up my alley! I love trains and train journeys and I will look for the book once it's published! Unfortunately the book never became available to me on NetGalley but that won't stop me come next month 🙂

This is a great read to begin building a bucket list! This caters nicely to avid rail enthusiasts without alienating readers with a more casual interest in rail travel. This covers the great global rail trips and offers lovely photos of not only the trains, but also the stations, landscapes, and scenery that comes with the lines. This would be lovely coffee table book and would really appeal to armchair travelers and those dreaming of upcoming trips--I definitely saw a few journeys I can't wait to take!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I’ve always enjoyed trains – not spotting them, I was never into that – I like mix of the smells and sounds a station gives off and the ritual of boarding and then alighting at journey’s end. It’s more formal than a car journey, a proper event rather than something undertaken, more often than not, with little thought or planning. The longest train journey I ever experience was from South Devon, England to Aberdeen, Scotland, taking something between ten and twelve hours. I was very young and, in truth, can remember little about it though I know I enjoyed the excitement of the ‘sleeper’ on the way up though I found the seated return trip interminable. My dad was a railway man, so all virtually holiday journeys were by rail - I guess it’s how I got the bug.

I’d enjoyed the watching television episodes of ex-politician Michael Portillo riding trains on some of the most scenic routes in the world, and I though this book might recreate some of these adventures in my mind. Unfortunately, I found the book to be largely a compilation of photographs of trains and train stations, with the odd scenic view added for good measure. Broken into five sections - North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia – it’s still an interesting book for train lovers to peruse but don’t expect a breakdown of the great journeys of the world, it’s more a seemingly random selection of pictures with a small amount of background information. In this respect, it proved to be something of a disappointment.

I love trains and have seen or been on a few of the trains in this book. I love flipping through this book looking at the photos and dreaming of places to go. This book has renewed my dream of going on the Trans-Siberian railway!
On the other hand, I feel that there are probably better photos that would illustrate the uniqueness of some of those trains/places.

I absolutely love to travel and this book highlighted all of the really cool train travel that exists in the world. I immediately wanted to book a ticket on many of the trips Ross brought up.

My son is absolutely bonkers about trains so he was very excited that we got to read this one together. He loved all of the pictures of the different trains and the landscapes where the trains travel. The book was informative and very interesting. However my son was a little disappointed that no trains in Australia or New Zealand were covered in the book. Hopefully if the author does another train he will cover Australian and Kiwi trains and their history. All in all a fun book for any kid that loves trains.

There is something so magical about a rail journey and the allure of going at a different, slower pace. A beautiful countryside, along a coastline, through an urban center, or even up or through a mountain, rail travel affords you an incredible opportunity to experience different locations. Traveling on a nostalgic heritage train trip or more modern train, or in different seasons or climates, adds to the charm.

Rail Journeys by David Ross has given us a gorgeous gathering of photos and descriptions of rail journeys and train stations from around the world. Some, no longer operational, but so many more are. Every time I open the book, I find a new favorite.

Review to come February 19th.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I just LOVE trains. I am terrible at remembering all the names for the specific trains, but I love watching trains. See them pass by. See which every country uses. The colours, the shapes, and more. So I just had to get this book which promises a journey around the world to see all sorts of beautiful places with train travel.

In this book we travel around the world from America to India to Kenia. We will be seeing all sorts of train stations from big ones and famous ones to more local ones. From historical with all sorts of pretty details to basic stations. We get to see up close on train tracks. Yes, that may sounds boring, but I could see the beauty of it. I loved how the photographer kept using different angles for those photos. Showing the landscape, or just showing mostly the tracks. And then there are the trains! So many trains. From steam to electric. From big Hogwarts-type trains to the speedy trains of Japan. I just absolutely adored it. I think my favourite will always be steam/smoke. It just has something majestic about it, something that promises adventures and mysteries! I loved reading about various trains and what makes them special. And at times I just really wanted to step inside because we also get to see the inside of various trains and some of them have some comfy looking seating! I just flew through this book, soaking it all up and wishing I could be there.

I have to say that out of all the things they could have picked for my country... I wouldn't have gone for the Flevolijn. Seriously. We got so much more gorgeous things and you picked that? Ummm.

While I did like the captions and often read them, sometimes they didn't make sense because of how my book was formatted as an ebook and then read on a phone. XD

However, just like an earlier David Ross book (Lighthouses) the photography is pretty but not in good quality. The images are blurry, feel stretched out, and are grainy. I get that this isn't a finished product, but I do feel that even in a review copy quality should be good. ESPECIALLY for a photography book.

All in all, I flew through the book! I had fun travelling the world and seeing many different trains. I could escape the world for a bit, and I can definitely use that! Recommended~

I found both the pictures and the information in this book astounding. This panoramic view of many of the worlds most famous (and lesser-known) train routes and stations was fascinating to read, and I highly enjoyed it! The sheer beauty and history behind the railways and trains showcased in this book are immense. This has given me some ideas for my next travels and some specific places I would like to visit. Overall, this is a beautiful book. to read and look at, and I would definitely recommend this to train and travel enthusiasts alike.

I loved this book! It is filled with places to visit and includes stunning photographs. After an acquaintance told me he always dreamed of taking a trip by train across America, the idea became firmly planted in my mind. I once took a train trip from Pennsylvania, where I live, to Florida and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had never thought about doing this in other countries, but now that I have come across this book, maybe I will.

5 stars for this gorgeous book!

This book is a celebration of what I believe to be one of the most relaxing and pleasurable means of travel, featuring routes in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.