John Hannavy is Professor Emeritus in photography and photographic history, and is also a Fellow of both the British Institute of Professional Photography and the Royal Photographic Society. He is the author of numerous books including The Encyclopaedia of Nineteenth-century Photography and Great Photographic Journeys, and is a regular contributor to Scotland magazine and Discover my past Scotland.

• INTRODUCTION – ‘The Diver’ and other stories                    900 – From Ashbourne to Ropley; a disastrous start to a new century1901 – The first postcards of railway accidents1902 – ‘I feared if I said anything I would cause a panic’ 1903 – ‘Our epidemic of railway disasters’1904 – ‘A singular mishap’1905 – Photographers were quickly on the scene1906 – At least the whisky survived undamaged1907 – Pulling the wrong lever1908 – ‘Good God! He will be in to the coal train!’1909 – Not a suitable class of engine...1910 – ‘Will you kiss me before I die?’ 1911 – ‘Good God! There is a mineral on No.1’1912 – ‘The damaged bridge bore striking testimony’ 1913  – ‘there was a block on the line at Colchester’                                                 1914 – The April day the ‘Flying Scotsman’ came off the rails 1915 – Quintinshill, the railways’ darkest day

Going Off the Rails succeeds because it is not merely a book about railway accidents. It is a window into a world where technology, media, and public perception intersect in fascinating ways, and a reminder that the images we share shape how we understand the world. It insists that the postcards of the past are not just ephemera but powerful documents of cultural history. That is the kind of writing that stays with a reader long after they have finished the final page, one that informs, inspires, and equips....