Paul Theroux was born in Medford Massachusetts, in 1941, and published his first novel, WALDO, in 1967. His subsequent novels include Picture Palace, winner of the Whitbread Prize for Fiction, The Mosquito Coast, and the hugely acclaimed, Kowloon Tong. His travel books include The Great Railway Bazaar and The Pillars of Hercules.

The Lake Shore limited; the lone star; the Aztec eagle; El Jarocho to Veracruz; the passenger train to Tapachula; the 7:30 to Guatemala City; the 7:00 to Zacapa; the railcar to San Salvador; the local to Cutuco; the Atlantic railway - the 12:00 to Limon; the Pacific railway - the 10:00 to Puntarenas; the Balboa bullet to Colon; the expreso de sol to Bogota; the expreso Calima; the autoferro to guayaquil; the tren de la sierra; the train to Machu Picchu; el Panamericano; la estrella del norte ("the North Star") to Buenos Aires; the Buenos Aires subterranean; the Lagos del Sur ("Lakes of the South") express; the old Patagonian express.