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Paul Stephanus' exposure to steam locomotives began even before his birth in 1941, when his pregnant mother and father would walk to the Montclair, NJ railroad station to see steam powered trains. Stephanus began photographing steam in the late 1950's with his brother while still in school. As an adult, he joined the US Army as a photographer and travelled across Europe from 1961-64, then in 1966 travelled west to Viet Nam to cover the war as a civilian photojournalist. Stephanus' pictures have been published by UPI, AP, LIFE, Look, Parade, New York Times, TIME, Newsweek, and newspapers and publications around the world. After leaving Viet Nam in 1969, Stephanus completed the first of his two westward round-the-world trips photographing steam locomotives (among other things), followed by a second trip in 1972-73. The photos from these trips form the basis of his latest book, Chasing Fire in Steel.
"""This book is like a time capsule taking you back more than fifty years. Paul Stephanus's adventures around the globe in pursuit of steam locomotives are a story in themselves. Already toughened by his experience as a Vietnam war photographer, he seemed unafraid to parachute into any culture in search of steam-but it's his photography that occupies center stage. The images he brought back are haunting; you ache to have been there with him. Not in recent decades has a photographic memoir of this scope, devoted to the steam locomotive, been published."" -Fred W. Frailey, Trains Magazine special correspondent and author of Twilight of the Great Trains. ""You do wonderful things with a camera around a railroad."" -David P. Morgan, Former Editor of Trains Magazine Chasing Fire in Steel is an interesting and unique treatise on international travel to capture steam locomotives after they were gone from the American rail scene. Paul Stephanus takes us on an expansive journey across the globe with a fascinating array of photographs including war-era images in several countries. The story telling is great and many of the images are powerful, and while the main focus is steam power, a few diesels are sprinkled in to round out a given country's rail scene. Chasing Fire in Steel is a worthwhile effort and well worth the read. It's a unique take on our fascination with trains, and especially steam power. - Kevin EuDaly President and Publisher --White River Productions"
