Andrew Martin

Andrew Martin is a prolific author of novels and non-fiction books. Most of his fiction is in the historical crime genre, and he is perhaps best known for a series of novels set in the early twentieth century and featuring a railway policeman called Jim Stringer. The series achieved four Crime Writers’ Association listings, and in 2011 The Somme Stations won the CWA Ellis Peter award for historical crime fiction. Martin’s other novels include The Yellow Diamond, about rich Russians in London, and The Martian Girl, which is set both in the modern day and the world of late Victorian music hall.

Martin’s interest in railway history (he is the son of a railwayman) is also reflected in his non-fiction, which includes Underground, Overground: a passenger’s history of the Tube, and Night Trains: the rise and fall of the sleeper. Amongst his other nonfiction titles are Flight by Elephant: the untold story of World War II’s most daring jungle rescue (concerning the British exodus from Burma following the Japanese invasion) and How To Get Things Really Flat: a man’s guide to ironing, dusting and other household arts.

Martin decided to become a full-time writer after winning the Spectator Young Writer of the Year award back when he was young. He had previously qualified as a barrister, which partly accounts for his interest in crime. He broadcasts regularly and has written and presented BBC TV documentaries on historical themes. He often gives talks, and has taught creative writing for various organisations.