China can be an intimidating place to visit for many Americans. But the country’s state-of-the-art rail network, efficient and a breeze to use, makes a multi-stop trip easier than ever.

This 256 page book by Derek Hayes provides a wide-ranging review of the advances in speed across the rail mode from the earliest rail-mounted vehicles to the present day.

If this new maglev tech that China is developing pans out, it ought to be moving at anywhere from two to three times the fastest trains in the world today.

China’s bullet trains typically run at either 186 or 217 miles per hour, depending on the route. Because the tracks are straight, the trains run for long distances without slowing down.