Just over eighty years ago on the East Coast main line, the streamlined A4 Pacific locomotive Mallard reached a top speed of 126mph - a world record for steam locomotives that still stands. Since then, millions have seen this famous locomotive, resplendent in her blue livery, on display at the National Railway Museum in York. Here, Don Hale tells the full story of how the record was broken: from the nineteenth-century London-Scotland speed race and, surprisingly, traces Mallard's futuristic design back to the Bugatti car and the influence of Germany's nascent Third Reich, which propelled the train into an instrument of national prestige. He also celebrates Mallard's designer, Sir Nigel Gresley, one of Britain's most gifted engineers. Mallard is a wonderful tribute to one of British technology's finest hours.

About the Author
DON HALE has worked for over 40 years as a journalist, editor and investigative journalist. A lifetime enthusiast, he has taken part in several Channel 4 and BBC programmes about railways. He has previously written Town Without Pity, Mallard and the Final Dive, published by The History Press. Three-time Journalist of the Year, he was awarded the OBE for his investigation of the wrongful conviction of Stephen Downing for murder. He lives in Conwy.

Reviews
It ought to be a film, pitched somewhere between 'The Right Stuff' and 'Chariots of Fire'. Meanwhile, Don Hale's well-ordered, compelling book will do nicely. -- Andrew Martin



Book Information
ISBN 9780750991513
Author Don Hale
Format Paperback
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd