About the book

Imagine life without the London Underground… The iconic Tube has been transporting Londoners around Britain’s capital for 150 years, and today 150,000 passengers use the Underground every hour.

This fascinating miscellany takes us on a round-trip through every aspect of the London Underground, from the history of its construction to its many appearances in books, films and popular music, giving a glimpse into the technical marvels beneath our feet and the many human stories that play out in its trains and tunnels every day.

1845: A pamphlet is published in which Charles Pearson, a London lawyer, pushes the idea of an underground railway to transport both passengers and goods to the city centre.

1863: On 10 January the Metropolitan Railway goes down in the history books when it opens the first subterranean railway in the world.

1998: A previously undiscovered breed of mosquito, adapted to life underground, is discovered living in the Tube network.

2012: Close to one million people use the Northern line alone, every day.