Thomas The Tank Engine Man

The fascinating story of the man who created Thomas the Tank Engine and friends--now in paperback


The stories of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends have delighted generations of children and adults, but what do we know of the man who created them? A devoted pastor and family man, the Reverend W. Awdry first started telling the stories in order to amuse his own children, with no idea that the characters would lead to a global phenomenon. Now, seventy years after their first appearance, their popularity shows no signs of waning.


In this fascinating and warm biography, prolific author Brian Sibley brings to life one of the most eminent children's writers of the twentieth century, tracing his story from his Edwardian childhood through his time at university and into World War II. A confirmed pacifist, Awdry was thrown out of one curacy and denied another because of his beliefs. Never afraid to stand up for what he thought was right, he argued with his publishers and his illustrators, demanding the best for his favorite creations: the trains and their friends.


The Thomas the Tank Engine Man, Brian Sibley's biography of the Reverend W. Awdry, is back on the rails again in a revised and updated edition. Sibley understands children's writers better than any biographer I know. With this book, you are definitely on the right track. So, climb aboard. And-- 'Tickets please!'" —Gyles Brandreth, English writer, actor, and broadcaster