Three book reviews for a Festive Saturday

Saturday 27th December 2025

Time to relax after the Christmas festivities with a sit down and a good book so especially for BusAndTrainUser blog readers here are three recommendations for your 2026 bookshelf.

The Rise and Demise of the Bus Map

First up and hot off the press is this just published and truly wonderful book by map enthusiast John Davies.

As its title implies, John’s fantastic new book ‘The Rise and Demise of the Bus Map‘ charts how the production of bus maps developed hand in glove with the expansion of bus networks during the 20th Century when no self respecting bus company would exist without producing and distributing a cartographic masterpiece to help and encourage passengers to use its buses. Yet by the first decade of the 21st Century bus maps were becoming a scarcity in far too many locations leaving potential passengers mystified about where bus routes go.

John has amassed a huge collection of bus maps across the decades and uses examples from around the country over the last century, and more, to show the important role bus maps have played as well as identifying the characteristics that make for a successful bus map.

The book’s logically themed chapters take the reader on a journey through time from “The Early Years” up to 1948, through “Peak Bus Era” to 1967 followed by “Rationalisation” between 1968 and 1986 and “Deregulation and Privatisation” to 2010 and concluding with “The Digital Age – It’s all online”.

In each chapter John contextualises the development and production of bus maps within the structural and operational constraints and opportunities that could be found in the industry in each era with an insightful commentary to remind the reader what was happening at that time.

John has included 220 (yes, 220) images of historic bus, tram and trolleybus maps from all over the UK in this truly magnificent substantial 328 page hardback book.

The development of London’s bus maps from trams and trolleybuses through to the post 1970 split with London Country is well documented which will particularly appeal to students of London Transport but every corner of the country is featured at some point in the book, not least those local authorities which took bus map production seriously at, and immediately after, deregulation in 1986.

Lord Hendy, a fellow bus map enthusiast, has written the Foreword to the book and rightly observes “I cannot imagine how anyone couldn’t be fascinated by maps. They show familiar places, which is comforting, and less familiar places, which tantalise and offer new sights and experiences”.

If only, I thought, as I read Peter’s heartfelt memories of his early years travelling on Red and Green Rovers using London’s excellent series of bus maps to guide him around the network, we could transport those experiences into contemporary times and all local authorities, Mayoral Combined Authorities (yes, including you, TfL) and bus companies throughout the country could see the value to be gained from producing a bus map, and did so. It’s no accident the book title refers to “… and Demise…” as sadly many areas are now devoid of a bus map.

John has produced a true cracker of a book which anyone who’s ever marvelled at a bus map needs in their collection. This truly is a “must buy” book. I can assure you, you won’t regret it.

The book retails at £40 and offers excellent value for the treasure trove of maps it contains but as a special deal exclusively for BusAndTrainUser blog readers John is kindly offering a 20% discount until 30th April 2026. Readers just need to enter the code ez77b3v2 at the online check out to save £8, making for a reduced sale price of £32.

‘The Rise and Demise of the Bus Map‘ can be purchased through the excellent volunteer led website Timetable World.com which is well worth an exploration in its own right. Details are available online at this link.

–Regenerating London’s Buses

Ten years on from its publication by Capital Transport in 2015, I’m delighted Roger Torode has followed up his seminal work ‘Privatising London’s Buses’ with this latest excellent follow on entitled ‘Regenerating London’s Buses’ covering the period from 2000 to 2015.

There’s no doubt this period was the golden era for London’s bus network with its Peak Vehicle Requirement increasing from 5,627 in 2000 to 8,032 in 2015 and passenger numbers increasing at the fastest rate on record since the formation of London Transport in 1933 (with the exception of recovery after World War 2).

As in his previous book, Roger has given the book’s extensive coverage of the myriad of developments and events during the 15 year period an authoritative edge having interviewed around 30 key people in senior roles at TfL and the companies operating London’s bus network for their reflections. These include Peter Hendy, Leon Daniels, David Brown, Mike Weston, Mark Yexley and John Trayner as well as Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Steve Norris.

It was truly a stimulating time for London’s buses instigated by the devolution of powers from central Government to a new elected Mayor of London in control of the newly established Transport for London. The first Mayor, Ken Livingstone brought in radical policies including the Congestion Charge, a fares freeze, retention of conductors and Routemaster buses with bus service frequencies built up to levels not seen since the 1950s as well as extensive network development taking buses to roads never previously served.

The introduction of the flat fare, Oyster cards, and later, contactless bank cards as well as daily and weekly capping revolutionised payment systems and helped speed bus journeys by reducing dwell times at bus stops while the advent of articulated as well as low floor buses revolutionised boarding for those with accessibility needs.

Roger tells the story of these developments year by year across 18 chapters in the 192 page hardback book which highlights the impact of the change of Mayoralty half way through the period covered, in 2008, when Boris Johnson took over the reins from Ken Livingstone heralding new priorities including a reduction in the area covered by the Congestion Charge, increased road space allocated for cycling, the Cable Car, the proposed Garden Bridge and, of course, the New Bus for London project came to the fore.

As you can see from these sample pages as befits a Capital Transport publication, the book is designed and produced to a high standard with numerous colour photographs illustrating the developments covered in each chapter.

A great read for anyone interested in the development of London’s buses.

It costs £35 and is available through Capital Transport’s website as well as the usual outlets.

Barton Buses The intensive care years

Keith Shayshutt has done it again. Another one of his deep dive forensic analysis books this time featuring the East Midlands based, fiercely independent, iconic bus company called Barton Buses.

The story Keith tells in this latest self published book is of the three year period between 1989 and 1992 immediately after the company was bought by Wellglade, owners of Trent.

Keith quickly explains the reason for the subtitle ‘The intensive care years’ is because Barton was on the brink of collapse at the point of its sale to Wellglade and needed major surgery to keep it afloat.

And Keith should know as he was appointed Traffic Manager of the acquired business by Wellglade’s Directors with a mission to turn the company around.

And that’s the period this book covers with Keith explaining across 17 brief very readable chapters, copiously illustrated over the book’s 108 pages, the series of actions taken during those three years to steady the ship and turn the company’s fortunes from financial disaster to dependable profitability.

It wouldn’t be a Keith Shayshutt publication without including very detailed information for schedules and timetable aficionados and this book is no exception with 40 pages devoted to working timetables and the schedules inherited at the takeover.

Barton deployed an inefficient system of drivers keeping the same vehicle for the whole of their shift as illustrated in the examples reproduced in the book which Keith very quickly changed to the more standard and efficient way of compiling vehicle workings prior to, and separate from, driver duties.

Keith also describes the turbulent changes in the network as a consequence of competition from neighbouring operators as well as the relentless reduction in overheads with administrative and engineering staff being progressively shared with Trent and Barton’s premises soon rationalised.

Keith manages to include around 100 colour photographs of vehicles in this 108 page book as well as many maps and images of leaflets, publicity and pertinent press cuttings and a fleet list.

If you’ve bought one of Keith’s previous books covering developments in Devon and Cornwall you’ll know what to expect and for £29.50 you won’t be disappointed. It’s available from the usual transport book outlets including MDS Books.

Roger French

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