Customer Reviews

A Great and Shining Road: The Epic Story of the Transcontinental Railroad

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This book relates the economic, technological and political significance of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. The subject is complex, yet the author's narrative style, while not lacking in facts, makes this volume the most readable of the serious treatments of the subject. Another excellent recent title on this subject is "The Empire Express." I would not rate the book by Mr. Ambrose in the same class as either of these two, as the work treats the subject, I think, in a comparatively superficial and overly romantic manner.

I bought this book at the "Golden Spike" National Monument because the National Park Ranger said that this was a solid, balanced history of the effort. What amazed me were all the financial problems that both sides encountered. This compounded the problems with crossing the Sierras, the Indians, politicians, Civil War, and receiving supplies of wood and rails. There is so much more to this story than you were told in school. The author does a good job of painting a picture of daily work being done in different segments/terrain of the railroad. Many historians would have you believe that this was a get rich quick scheme. Even if the original executives thought that, it did not turn out that way. For those enamored by references/documentation, there are 290 pages of text and 40 pages of citations. The photos of the construction at several important areas really helps you picture the actual work.