The the remaining stocks of Dendy Marshall’s ‘History of the Southern Railway and its Constituent Companies’ were destroyed by enemy action during World War II. However, in 1963 is the whole work (except for certain parts of the later chapters not now relevant) were reprinted by Ian Allan, but revised by R.W. Kidner, with some additional information, particularly in the locomotive notes, and an entirely new section added taking the story from 1935, when the original work finished, up to the time that the ‘Southern’ became part of British Railways. Last but not least’ the appendicies now contain the most complete schedule, as of 1963, ever published of closing and opening dates of lines and stations.

Of the original illustrations, most of those which have survived are included again. They have been added to by drawing upon the very extensive collection of views in the possession of the Locomotive Publishing Company, many of them hitherto unpublished. The maps and plans have all been specially redrawn.

These two volumes comprise a complete history of this railway group from the earliest days of its constituent companies, and are an absolute necessity for the shelves of all railway historians, and for anyone with a more than passing interest in the railways of Southern England.