The Northern Railroads in the Civil War, 1861-1865 [Paperback]

Thomas Weber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

Time has been very good to Thomas Weber's Northern Railroads in the Civil War, 1861-1865. First published by Columbia University Press in 1952, it has been out of print since the 1970s, but never out of demand. It has emerged as the premier account of the impact of the railroads on the American Civil War and vice versa. Not only did the railroads materially help the north to victory through movement of troops and materiel, but the war materially changed the way railroads were built, run, financed, and organized in the crucial years following the war.

We are still waiting (9/1/98) for the reviews to come from the author's files.

"Thomas Weber's study of northern railroads during the Civil War remains the obvious treatment of an important topic. His analysis rests on solid research and leaves no doubt that the North's excellent use of railroads contributed significantly to Union victory."
—Gary W. Gallagher

(shortened)
"Thomas Weber's... analysis rests on solid research and leaves no doubt that the North's excellent use of railroads contributed significantly to Union victory."
—Gary W. Gallagher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Mr Weber's book is a thorough and solidly documented work.”–Library Journal --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Mr Weber's book is a thorough and solidly documented work. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253213215
• ISBN-13: 978-0253213211
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,023,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reference for Modelers, September 21, 2010

By 

Walter R. Taylor (Los Angeles CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Northern Railroads in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Paperback)

Review by a modeler
'Northern Railroads in the Civil War 1861-1865' by Thomas Weber is a scholarly work, Anyone modeling in the Civil War Era will find this an invaluable resource. Both layout designers and operators will be able to add realism beyond the expected. Several places also mention running speeds of the locomotives and why those speeds were set. Length of trains, make-up of cars, where and what type,what loads on which routes, and running on what kind of schedule on what type of rail are all details scattered throughout the book. Also how different places and times affected layout and operations.
Thomas Weber tells some great stories which would make great dioramas, such as when the enemy had began tearing up track , and an engineer gunned the engine to full speed ahead. With bullets flying, the outer rail held the train on track for a whole curve and was able to whip back onto the rails after the curve.
Unfortunately, there are no photographs or graphics of any kind.Another aspect I wish Weber expanded more on was the use of Ironclad trains. The Ironclad rail cars make for unusual models, however their use seems to be relegated to the experimental and unusual.Life-Like Trains HO Scale Rail Master Electric Train SetLife-Like Trains HO Scale Powered Old Time Teakettle Locomotive - Baltimore and OhioOLD TRAINS & CIVIL WAR - 2 ViewMaster 3D 3-Reel SetsCivil War Confederate Express Electric Train CollectionMicro Machines Military #17 Civil War Collection

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Northern railroads played critical role in winning Civil War, February 21, 2010

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Joseph T. Krause "Central European reader" (West Lafayette, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Northern Railroads in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Library Binding)

Detailed coverage of railroad operations in conjunction with military movements in the North helped explain why the Union forces were able to move large amounts of troops and material to the front. It also explains how wounded as well as prisoners were shipped to Union lines. A bit more could been written about the use of contraband (newly freed slaves), but maybe there were few records kept on that topic. The author supplies many shipping numbers: locomotives, cars, empties as well as revenue over the war years. The Reconstruction period was briefly examined, but that was not in the scope of the book. Perhaps other authors have dealt with that aspect of railroad development in the United States, l865-l872.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Northern Railroads in the Civil War, January 10, 2010

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Northern Aggressor (Brookfield, WI USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Northern Railroads in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Paperback)

A tremendous amount of research was done by the author, but the first half of the book is an accountant's dream - all figures. The better "meat" is in the second half of the book.