For subway fans: World's transit maps

NEW YORK - Some people love the romance of long-distance railroad travel. Some like to step off the curb and hail a cab. But others prefer the screech and rumble of subways - and the more arcane and exotic the system, the better.

For these urban transit freaks and fans comes the perfect book: "Transit Maps of the World: The World's First Collection of Every Urban Train Map on Earth," by Mark Ovenden (Penguin, $25).

The book includes maps from more than 200 cities including Berlin, Chicago, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris and Tokyo, along with Barcelona, Boston, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Mexico City, Montreal, Munich, Osaka, San Francisco, Seoul, St. Petersburg and Washington D.C.

Maps from smaller and newer urban rapid transit systems include Amsterdam, Athens, Beijing, Bilbao, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Delhi, Glasgow, Kuala Lumpur, Oslo, Rio de Janeiro, Taipei, Toronto and Vienna.

There is also a section on cities with light-rail and commuter systems, such as those found in Cleveland, Frankfurt, Miami, Sydney and Zurich, and a final chapter on hybrid tram-trains, monorail services and other urban transit systems from Las Vegas to Genoa to Minsk.

Travelers to cities of the world may find the book a practical way to preview and plan excursions. Others may simply enjoy gazing at the maps' astonishing display of colors, symbols and intricate graphic design.

Each map is accompanied by a brief history and an explanation of the challenges involved in creating both the physical rail system and the visual guide to it. Entries for older lines include examples of historic maps and even proposed concepts for future maps.

The book was published originally in the United Kingdom and has been updated and scheduled for release Oct. 25 in the U.S.

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