In the first-ever history book about BART, longtime agency spokesman Michael C. Healy gives an insider's account of the rapid transit system's inception, hard-won approval, construction, and operations, “warts and all.” Written with a master storyteller's homey wit and sharp attention to detail, Healy recreates the politically fraught venture to bring a new kind of public transit to the West Coast. What emerges is a sense of the individuals who made (and make) BART happen. From tales of staying up until 3:00 a.m. with Bill Stokes and Jack Everson to hear the election results for the rapid transit vote or weathering scandals, strikes, and growing pains, this look behind the scenes of an iconic, seemingly monolithic structure reveals people at their most human—and determined to change the status quo.

Brian Reed's account is widely acknowledged as the definitive work on the once mighty Crewe Works, with an emphasis on the pre-1947 period it also includes information on the post-nationalisation period. It provides a wealth of authoritative detail on the development of the works, including illuminating biographies of Crewe's major engineers, and is illustrated with historic photographs and line illustrations, including layout diagrams

The Porsche Book - a racing car legend becomes a coffee table book with class. 

Driving a Porsche is a very special lifestyle, a philosophy of its own - and an absolute necessity in the life of a car fan. That's why this fascinating coffee table book inextricably combines everything that belongs to the luxury car brand created by Ferdinand Porsche: impressive photos, an avant-garde layout and cool texts make this coffee table book an essential must-have for Porsche enthusiasts and a valuable piece of German automotive history.   

An illustrated book as luxurious as the cult sports car from Stuttgart – Germany.  

The German car brand and success story of Porsche could not be presented in a more comprehensive and glamorous way than in this illustrated book: High-gloss images characterized by avant-garde aesthetics, exclusive design sketches and fascinating technical details on all series models - and yes, before you ask, the legendary Porsche 911 is also included! Michael Köckritz also sheds light on the significance of Porsche as a luxury brand and racing car icon, unique in the history of motor racing and sports cars. Expert interviews with insiders from the Porsche cosmos round off the coffee table book with fascinating details.  

Avant-garde coffee table book from the pen of a car and lifestyle expert 

Only a passionate Porsche driver like the journalist, artist and media maker Michael Köckritz can adequately describe the fascination of the sports car legend from Stuttgart - because he captures in words and intoxicating images exactly what Porsche fans and car collectors feel! The combination of luxury, lifestyle and the racing car history that unites perhaps the most legendary German car brand explains only part of the myth of "driving a Porsche". In the style of the car culture magazine ramp, founded by Köckritz, he presents a fascinating piece of automotive history in The Porsche Book: a coffee table book for which luxury is as natural as the number 911 is for Porsche. 

An illustrated history of Japan's amazing bullet trains—the original high-speed network!

This first-ever photographic history offers a rare archival look at the rise and evolution of the legendary system that has crisscrossed Japan for over 60 years. Make station stops as the lines linked and expanded. Trace the tech evolution of trains that became sleeker and ever faster through the years.

This illustrated guide gives readers a first-class seat on a fact-filled journey through time, offering:

• A visual overview of the changes in the lines, trains and services over the past 60-plus years
• Glimpses of the preparations and work required before the first tracks were even laid
• A look at the services that were discontinued and the limited express lines created
• Social history, such as the introduction of smoking cars and commuter passes

All aboard for a colorful photographic history of 60 years of Japan's amazing shinkansen—the bullet train!

Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914 is a cultural and engineering history of railway building in Japan during the Meiji era.

The importance of early railways in the industrialization of the United States and Europe is a fact all of us are familiar with. To witness the amazing parallel development of the railways in Japan, happening at much the same time as America was connecting its vast hinterland to the East and West coasts, is an eye-opening realization.

Early Japanese Railways, tells the fascinating story of the rise of Japanese rail amidst a period of rapid modernization during Japan's Meiji era. Leaving behind centuries of stagnation and isolation, Japan would emerge into the 20th century as a leading modern industrialized state. The development of the railways was a significant factor in the cultural and technological development of Japan during this pivotal period. Free's rare photographic and historical materials concerning Japan's early railways, including a print showing the miniature steam engine brought to Japan by Admiral Perry aboard his "Black Ships" to demonstrate American superiority, combine to form a richly detailed account that will appeal to students of Japanese history and railway buffs alike.

This one-of-a-kind book, Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914, illuminates for non-Japanese-speaking readers the early history of Japanese railroads and in the process the fascinating story of Japan's prewar industrial modernization. Anyone interested in train history or model trains will find this book a fascinating read.