Planned by the Manchester & Birmingham Railway in 1845 - partly to antagonise the Grand Junction Railway - the Trent Valley line ran between Stafford and Rugby, passing through Lichfield, Tamworth and Nuneaton en route. Various railway companies were involved initially, but the line was soon absorbed into the London & North Western Railway, and became part of the West Coast Main Line. In his new book Mike Hitches tells the complicated story of the TVR in a clear and accessible manner, primarily through over 200 well-captioned photographs (including stations, engines, rolling stock, and the ill-fated 'tilting' Advanced Passenger Train of the early '80s, which was trialled on this line), track plans and maps. Sample shed allocations are included, as are appendices that examine various aspects of the TVR's history in more depth.

Mike Hitches is a prolific railway author and local historian, who also finds time to work as a registered nurse in Manchester. He has worked with Sutton Publishing on many occasions, his most recent book being The Irish Mail.