'Britain's battle with the sea has left an enduring mark not simply on our coastal fringes but also on the cultural and social legacy along those shores. Academically grounded but powered by verve and anecdote, On The Edge masterfully charts our turbulent relationship with the waters that surround us, and looks ahead to what our coastal future might be.' Professor Iain Stewart, Plymouth University A first evaluation of the physical impact of railway construction on the British coast The building of railways has had a profound but largely ignored physical impact on Britain's coasts. This book explores the coming of railways to the edge of Britain, the ruthlessness of the companies involved and the transformation of our coasts through the destruction or damage to the environment. In many places today, railways are the first defence against the sea and similarly the embankments of long-closed lines act as sea walls. It is ironic, at a time when climate change is very much favouring rail as a means of transport, that many lines are increasingly exposed to extreme weather and the very actions associated with their construction have exacerbated coastal erosion. With the benefit of hindsight, many coastal railways have been built in locations that would not have been chosen today. As our climate changes and storminess potentially increases, what might be the implications for some of Britain's lines on the edge? Robert Duck is Dean of the School of the Environment and Professor of Environmental Geoscience at the University of Dundee, Scotland. His research specialises in coasts and estuaries, and furthering the public understanding of science and climate change.