At risk of branding self as an annoying curmudgeon / nitpicker / bore; but -- partly to do something toward keeping this thread going -- bit of an embarrassing confession, concerning a book lately acquired by me very cheaply, at the second-hand-book-sales section of an English preserved railway's venue (which purveys in the line of railway books, much superb material; but also some less so). Author's name should have been a warning to me; but will confess to having forgotten said name, re what should have been a "once bitten..." situation. The offender here, is one John Scott-Morgan. I find that I had already posted concerning him, some years ago, on this sub-forum -- subject, another book, this one co-authored by him. I being a computer-fool: any attempt by me at linking to thread concerned, would be guaranteed not to work -- so: thread is titled Lately got: great pictures, shame about the words -- OP, by myself, 12/9/2019. Book concerned here, is The Light Railways of Britain and Ireland: my title basically "says it" -- book fascinatingly illustrated, but riddled with -- often highly crass -- mis-spellings and misinformation.
The tome with which I lately lumbered myself, is The Light Railway Era, 1896 -- 1996; this one, by John Scott-Morgan alone: published 1997. Rather as with the work cited above (assuming one to be, like myself, basically a fan of light railways in their golden years and after): many photographs of considerable interest; but the text -- oh, dear. Mis-spellings and misinformation, come once again to rule here. Perhaps I'm a -- whatever; but I strongly feel that anyone writing what they see as any kind of non-fiction: should exert themselves to the maximum possible, to get things right.
This book by Scott-Morgan is divided approximately into two halves. The first half is about Colonel Stephens and his wide-ranging "light railways and associated / other doings". The second half, about non-Stephens light railways in England and Wales, plus the Channel Islands (in the nature of things, 95%-plus of the material is about standard-gauge lines). While a lover of the whole crazy Colonel Stephens scene; I tend to feel that it has already received pretty much saturation coverage -- so having bought the book, I turned first, to its second half. Found this, as with mentioned-in-post's-first-paragraph tome: full of mis-spellings, and various, at best, sloppy and ambiguous informing re line's histories, and clumsy / redundant phrasing.
Going on "in reverse", to coverage of the Colonel Stephens lines: in the section on the East Kent Railway, I found a reference concerning World War I, to [sic] "the Armistice in August 1918". WHAT THE ...??!!! That was it, for me -- I cast the book aside, and have read no more. Mr. Scott-Morgan is likely a lovely chap "in his private and personal capacity"; but I have to feel that as a non-fiction writer -- he is somewhat intellectually challenged, and / or almost criminally slapdash and "don't-care" -- and I'll never touch anything published under his name, which might come along in the future. The book goes to the charity shop, at the earliest opportunity; I'll recommend that they offer it for sale, at a maximum of 10p.
) -- thank you -- see giving try(s) accordingly. Re your man's Liverpool experience -- a touch of Matthew 7, 3 -- 5?
