Full Steam Ahead: How the Railways Made Britain by Peter Ginn and Ruth Goodman

Based on a TV series and showing signs of it. Covering interesting topics, like the age of railways -- actually, they existed long before trains -- the importance of slate roofs, transportation of people and the invention of tickets (in an era where everyone gave credit, you had to pay, and prove you paid), the zigzagging effect on agriculture, the effect on leisure of feasible travel, the transportation of mail order goods, and more.