Customer Reviews

Allies of the Earth: Railroads And the Soul of Preservation

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At one time, railroads served as the connective tissue of America, tying its far-flung communities and large cities together with safe, no-hassle travel. All of that changed upon the advent of interstates and cheap gas. Fast-forward to the current day where Alfred Runte, author of many environmental histories, tells of railroad's heyday, its slow decline, and its emerging renaissance.

ALLIES OF THE EARTH is filled with nostalgic photographs and illustrations that whisk readers away to bygone days. In addition to Mr. Runte's arguments for a return to good, affordable passenger service, he carries readers across the decades with stops at Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks.

If you have been searching for an attractive tome containing compelling arguments for a return to reasonable American rail service, then ALLIES OF THE EARTH is for you.

I highly recommend it.

Runte, who has written extensively about national parks, applies the same reasoning that supports their existence and preservation to the case for passenger trains as common carriers and agents of preservation. A rail-based transportation network, he argues, is a key component to maintaining the American landscape and fostering sustainable development and historic preservation. Written with authority and clarity, as well as a touch of the poetic, Runte shows how the US has failed to learn the lessons of its own past and Europe's present. It is an easy but thought-provoking read that will turn any environmentalist into a passenger rail advocate.

This well researched, wrtten and handsomely illustrated book makes the case that the environmental, historic preservation and even the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s, missed the boat in not seeking to preserve the private passenger rail network.

Allies of the Earth: Railroads and the Soul of Preservation challenges America to rethink why it has all but abandoned its railroad systems for fuel-devouring automobiles and air travel - while these other machines may be faster, their toll on the environment and fuel resources is also higher. There are also less tangible boons to rail travel, such as the opportunity to look out the train window, and the pleasure of absorbing the journey rather than simply hustling to the destination. Surveying both American and European rail history, author Alfred Runte makes a call for renewed interest in experiencing the beauty of the countryside, and restoration of the railroads that America has foolishly disregarded for too long. A thoughtful and thought-provoking account written from the soul, Allies of the Earth postulates some interesting ideas about the role railroads could play in promoting national conservation and economic sustainability.