Speaking of Trains is a selection of stories centred on train travel. The book also includes snippets of history and little-known facts about the places visited. In addition to that, a subtle theme of humour and self-deprecation runs through the book. Jim Nicholls entertains his readers with his observations of everyday life in far off places. The following is from one of his train journeys - this one through India: Night falls quickly. Beyond my window, in the gloom, I see a group of men - their backs to us -squatting along a parallel length of railway track, not unlike crows on a fence. It takes a little while to realise what they were doing. Attending to their evening ablutions before going to bed, this mob is lined up in a row, enjoying a communal crap! Other stories include battling a typhoon in Vietnam, taking the Pride of Africa across southern Africa, riding a train to Tibet, and a wintery trip to Hudson Bay in Canada. None of your average, glowing descriptions her, this book tells it like it is and should entertain anyone interested in travelling to distant places. Buy a ticket, book a seat and come aboard.