Blood, Iron, and Gold: How the Railroads Transformed the World [Paperback]

The opening of the world's first railroad in Britain and America in 1830 marked the dawn of a new age. Within the course of a decade, tracks were being laid as far afield as Australia and Cuba, and by the outbreak of World War I, the United States alone boasted over a quarter of a million miles. With unrelenting determination, architectural innovation, and under gruesome labor conditions, a global railroad network was built that forever changed the way people lived. From Panama to Punjab, from Tasmania to Turin, Christian Wolmar shows how cultures were enriched, and destroyed, by one of the greatest global transport revolutions of our time, and celebrates the visionaries and laborers responsible for its creation.

Christian Wolmar/has written for/major international newspapers/and appears frequently on TV and radio as a commentator on transport issues. He is the author of/twenty books includingThe Great Railroad Revolution,Engines of War, andThe Liberation Line./He lives in London, UK.

CHOICE Magazine, January 2011
“The book is gracefully written, incorporates leading secondary sources, and includes intelligently selected illustrations….Highly recommended.”