Great North Road:Then and Now

Very informative with pictures too

Incredible. I was amazed how much I learnt from this book. I thought I knew a lot about the local history of the Great North Road, but I realised there was a lot more to discover. Even the areas I have never been too were interesting. The quality of the illustrations are excellent and I was stunned to realise that the front picture was a piece of road I used to drive along to work and didn't recognise it! The work that has gone into this is incredible.

This is a superb book full of now and then photographs and images of the A1, journeying northbound from London. As well as slicing through the countryside from south to north, the book slices through time, from past to present. There are many reproductions of Ordnance Survey maps, with annotations, so that the book is not just an armchair reader's delight but also a practical guide to the Great North Road for those wishing to see for themselves what's left of the road's historic remains from years past. For me the most interesting images of the A1 are those of the 1940s-1960s, the pre-motorway years but at a time of massive increases in traffic and car ownership. The hustle and bustle of past long-distance journeys, when no by-passes meant bottle-necks in Doncaster and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, really comes through this lovely book. So when's the next one coming out, would be great to see the A5 or A6 covered in the same series!

What a great book for the amateur historian and driver of the A1. I grew up in the late 60's and 70's and remember going up and down the A1 many times with my parents and grandparents. We lived in the North East and the A1 was - and still is - the main escape route.Because of that, if you are of a certain age you can chart the change in the UK via the change in the A1. When I was a child it seemed to be a gentle road out of South Shields full of promise and still being surrounded by old pubs and rest stops. As I grew and eventually learned to drive this road myself it changed into a fairly fast modern road in the 80's eventually arriving at where it is now. A cold hearted generally jammed road with little charm.This book is packed with maps and pictures of the route all the way back from the early 1900's to the present, with many many now and then comparisons. It's jammed full of interesting facts and history and full of interest for anyone who has lived a few decades of the A1.Great book and highly recommended.

Having been exiled Geordies in Hertfordshire for nearly 50 years, the A1 has always been an important part of our lives.So this was an ideal Christmas present for my wife and she is already recreating some of our memorable journeys

Well written, superb photos and maps of this iconic highway which will interest any historian.Brings back memories of past eras of how things were.How did the residents of Stamford cope pre 1960!

Wolfie has done a massive amount of careful research to produce this book and the end product is clear, easy to read and enjoyable. I know this road very well: as a student in the mid 60's and early 70's I hitch hiked this road frequently (it was easy then, lorry drivers were ready to stop. Even 'lone females' drivers were happy to give a chap a lift- very different and more trusting times, alas long gone)

This splendid book traces the route of the Great North Road, mainly but not exclusively the "A1", and compares past and present views of the same spot at intervals along the way. At first glance it may seem a somewhat specialist interest subject, or you may initially just be interested in the section of route near where you live, but the story of the road draws you in, and you end up reading the whole book! Written by a truck driver who has driven the road for many years, the style is down to earth and easy to read.