The Iron Way: Railroads, the Civil War, and the Making of Modern America
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.47 (818 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0300187467 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-01-07 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
fascinating combination of traditional research with new techniques As a model railroader building a historically based layout I view myself as an applied historian. When I read a book or go to the archives, I am looking for facts, maps, drawings, data and information that I can apply to my railroad. But it is also useful to understand the big picture. That is where William G. Thomas' book, The Iron Way: Railroads, the Civil War, and the Making of Modern America fits in.Like Edgar Turner's earlier book, Victory Rode the Rails: The Strategic Place of the Railroads in the Civil War, Thomas' book tak. "rating THE IRON WAY" according to walter e. smith. In a graduate course in Civil War History, I wrote a paper on southern railroads in the Civil War. This book showed me what I'd missed. Especially interesting was the way Southern businesses were isolated from European financiers and the way Rothschilds & Baring looked at the South's prospects. After the end of the conflict, the U.S. Military RR sold locomotives etc. at cost & in some cases just left them where they were - thereby jump-starting the Southern roads.. "Review of The Iron Way" according to Michael J. Deeb. The Iron Way: Railroads, the Civil War, and the Making of Modern AmericaI found the research excellent. But, the work is lacking in maps to support the narrative. Thus It is not as valuable a work as I had hoped. Dr. Michael J. Deeb
Beginning with Frederick Douglass' celebrated escape in 1838 & ending with the driving of the golden spike that completed the transcontinental railroad in 1869, this book charts a critical period of American expansion & national formation, one largely dominated by the dynamic growth of railroads & telegraphs.
"A tour-de-force, and offers a series of bracing insights about the origins, shape and outcome of the Civil WarBecause it integrates military and social history so imaginatively, The Iron Way is a must-read for students, scholars and enthusiasts alike."—Civil War Monitor