The 4th Edition of “All Aboard” is Finally Here.

The newest edition of my book is out. Well, not really OUT, meaning in bookstores — that should happen in a couple of weeks — but it has been printed and several thousand copies are safely stashed in the Chicago Review Press warehouse. 

NARP is giving the book a nice initial push by offering it as an incentive premium for anyone who makes a year-end contribution of $60 or more, so that should move a few copies and also raise some money for NARP. (That’s the National Association of Railroad Passengers for any of you unfamiliar with the organization.) 

It’s the 4th edition of the book and this is the point in the process when I get a queazy feeling in my stomach. My box of books arrives; I eagerly pick up a brand new copy and start leafing through it. And suddenly, I’ll spot something — a typo or a misspelling. It will just leap off the page at me. How the hell could it escape notice when I, and then a editorial assistant, went over the page proofs with meticulous care. I haven’t found it in this edition yet. But it’s there. 

That’s what happened with the third edition. A photographer gave me permission to use one of his photographs at no charge … and somehow I managed to spell his name wrong in the credit line under the photo! 

My original intent was that this book should speak to ordinary folks who are thinking about taking a long-distance train trip. So I try to explain some of the history of train travel and how it all works , but in non-technical terms. Even though a lot of the content is pretty basic stuff, hardcore rail fans also like the book, and that has especially pleased me. In fact, it’s gotten really good reviews both from media appealing to a general audience — the Boston Globe, for instance — and from “insider” publications like Passenger Train Journal and Railway Age. 

At any rate, the book is out and will be in the bookstores in a couple of weeks. Or, if you’re so inclined, you can either order it from Amazon or direct from the publisher, Chicago Review Press. Here’s a link that will get you there. And, as always, comments are welcome.