Story of American Railroads [Hardcover]

Rh Value Publishing (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 468 pages
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing (January 27, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517001004
• ISBN-13: 978-0517001004
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,034,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Can't Believe It's a History Book, July 29, 2008

By 

Timothy J. Mccarthy "Mongo" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This excellent book was published in 1947, so it's frankly a bit dated. The last picture shows the "GM Train of Tomorrow", an F7 locomotive (maybe an F9?) pulling some Vista Dome passenger cars, so you can see where things leave off. If you're more interested in the modern diesel era, look elsewhere.

The author comprehensively covers the evolution of railroading, starting off with the earliest railroads in England, and then shifting his focus to the U.S. This is well researched and documented, and gives you a full understanding of not just how the railroads grew the way they did, but why. This more than a tale of steel and steam; it's the story of the men who risked everything to lay rails across a growing country. It does a wonderful job of showing how the growth of the railroads, and the growth of the republic, were hopelessly intertwined and interdependent. And it shows, contrary to what many would have you believe, not every entrepreneur was a "robber baron". This was a very high risk, high reward industry. For every James Fisk and Jay Gould, there were a hundred honest men who lost everything they had trying to build a railroad business.

This is a history book, not something you throw on coffee table for visitors to look at. There are over 100 photos and many drawings, but most are too small to pick out a lot of detail. While there are a number of personal stories, some of which were related to the author first-hand, it's not a collection of colorful anecdotes from railroad men. On the other hand, this is one of those rare authors who can breathe life into history, who draws you into a very captivating and fascinating account of what could have been hopelessly dry. This reads more like a novel than the dusty tomes you waded through in high school history class. If you are at all interested in railroading, get this book.