Kingmaker Publishing is delighted to announce the publication of its next book. Time & Tide: The Songs Of Big Big Train by Andrew Wild and R. Douglas Helvering will be published on 11 September 2026. 

Following critically acclaimed Kingmaker books including Mario Giammetti’s authoritative two volume history of Genesis and biography of Tony Banks, Joe Banks’ peerless biography of Van der Graaf Generator leader Peter Hammill and candid autobiographies by Jakko Jakszyk (King Crimson) and Mark Kelly (Marillion), Time & Tide is the definitive exploration of Big Big Train’s songs. 

Through exclusive interviews with past and present band members, rare archival material and illuminating musical analysis, authors Andrew Wild and R. Douglas Helvering uncover the origins and meaning behind each of the band’s songs — from tales of steam locomotives, lost rivers and ancient landscapes to reflections on love, identity, mortality and belonging.

Time & Tide also opens the door to the band’s creative process: songwriting, arrangements, production techniques and the collaborative spirit that shaped albums including The Underfall Yard, English Electric, Folklore and Woodcut. Alongside the music lies the moving story of the band’s evolution through triumph, loss and reinvention.

At almost 550 pages, and illustrated with around 200 images, including several commissioned artworks and many photographs which have been previously unpublished, Time & Tide has been written for devoted fans, musicians and newcomers alike. The book serves as both a celebration of artistic ambition and an intimate portrait of a band whose music continues to delight fans of progressive rock. 

Gregory Spawton, co-founder of Big Big Train and co-owner of Kingmaker Publishing, comments:

“Andrew Wild and Doug Helvering have done an extraordinary job exploring every corner of the Big Big Train musical catalogue. Andrew undertook an enormous amount of research to write about well over 200 Big Big Train songs, while Doug’s musicological analyses of more than 40 of our songs are extremely insightful, including to the writers of those songs! We’re very grateful to Andrew and Doug for writing this book with such care and attention to detail. I’m also delighted that my BBT co-founder Andy Poole co-edited the book with Professor Geoff Parks.” 

Time & Tide: The Songs Of Big Big Train is available for pre-order now from Burning Shed via https://burningshed.com/store/kingmaker and The Band Wagon USA via https://thebandwagonusa.com/en-gb/collections/kingmaker-publishing 

All Burning Shed pre-orders received by 24 August will be signed by Andrew Wild.

All Band Wagon USA pre-orders received by 24 August will be signed by Doug Helvering.