- This beautifully illustrated book captures the history, the legends
and the unique style of the most famous train on earth: The Orient
Express- With never-before-seen archival material- With a preface by Sir
Kenneth BranaghThe Orient Express, in the collective imagination,
embodies the golden age of travel. The fabrics, the silverware, the
woodwork; their evocative fragrance... all contribute to this particular
atmosphere, created by the best craftsmen of the time. The experience on
board is absolutely unique... - Sir Kenneth Branagh, from the foreword
The first train to connect Paris to Constantinople - the gateway to the
Orient and epitome of all its associated desires and fantasies - the
Orient Express was an immediate success. Quickly nicknamed 'the king of
trains, the train of kings', it had already become a legend in its own
time. This unique train and its celebrated passengers (both real and
fictional) have become one of the great cultural icons of our times and
have helped to create a limitless source of stories and fantasies to
feed our imaginations. It's a story told here through fabulous new
photographs of the restoration workshops where the historic train
carriages are being brought back to life, through archive photos of
famous and exotic destinations, and portraits of the most famous
passengers who were lucky enough to climb aboard.
