The Copybook: Readings in history and literature

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Sir Sandford Fleming by Clay Lane

What George Stephenson was to the railways of England, Sandford Fleming was to the railways of Canada.

1

Brigands and Imbeciles by John Bright

John Bright dismissed fears that digging a tunnel under the English Channel would encourage a French invasion.

2

The Great Brassey Keeps his Word by Samuel Smiles

Once railway engineer Thomas Brassey made a promise he kept it — even if he wasn’t aware that he’d made one.

3

Private Risk, Public Benefit by Michael Longridge

For George Stephenson, the motto of the Stockton and Darlington Railway was a code to live by.

4

Left Holding the Baby by Richard Pike

A gentleman travelling home from London by train reached his destination carrying more than he set out with.

5

Lighting-Up Time by Raphael Meldola

William Murdoch and Samuel Clegg brought warmth and light into the country’s streets, factories and homes, but the public didn’t make it easy.

6

The Uganda Railway by Winston Spencer Churchill

When it opened in 1901, the Uganda Railway still wasn’t in Uganda, and Westminster’s MPs were still debating whether or not to build it.

Railways