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Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad
Unavailable
Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad
Unavailable
Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad
Audiobook4 hours

Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad

Written by Martin W. Sandler

Narrated by Grover Gardner

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Experience the race of rails to link the country-and meet the men behind this incredible feat-in a riveting story about the building of the transcontinental railroad, brought to life with archival photos.


In the 1850s, gold fever swept the West, but people had to walk, sail, or ride horses for months on end to seek their fortune. The question of faster, safer transportation was posed by national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? It seemed impossible. Eventually, two railroad companies, the Central Pacific, which laid the tracks eastward, and the Union Pacific, which moved west, began the job. In one great race between iron men with iron wills, tens of thousands of workers blasted the longest tunnels that had ever been constructed, built the highest bridges that had ever been created, and finally linked the nation by two bands of steel, changing America forever.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 8, 2015
ISBN9781491588451
Unavailable
Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad
Author

Martin W. Sandler

Martin W. Sandler is the author of Imprisoned, Lincoln Through the Lens, The Dust Bowl Through the Lens, and Kennedy Through the Lens. He has won five Emmy Awards for his writing for television and is the author of more than sixty books, two of which have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Among Sandler's other books are the six volumes in his award-winning Library of Congress American History Series for Young People, a series which has sold more than 500,000 copies. Other books by Mr. Sandler include: Island of Hope: The Story of Ellis Island, Trapped in Ice, The Story of American Photography, The Vaqueros, America: A Celebration, and This Was America. Mr. Sandler has taught American history and American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and at Smith College, and lives in Massachusetts.

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Reviews for Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation

Rating: 4.316666666666666 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    We take for granted the speed with which communication travels across our country. This book makes abundantly clear that the speed came at a cost, to the environment, the natives, the workers and the nation reeling from the Civil War.The author presents the facts in a well-written style that entices the reader. Bolstered by photos of the men who sacrificed to build this marvel, the text is dynamic in explaining the dangers and the inventive energy of the principals. I was particularly interested in the contribution of the Chinese who were the predominate workers in the Central Pacific crew. Bringing their homeland skills, they fashioned baskets to hang over the cliff side to blast away rock.Of particular interest to me was the update on the principal players in the back of the book. It's not often we find out what becomes of the book's main characters so I was very thankful for the epilogue.A fantastic story, professionally written and illustrated. Something every library should own.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Iron Rails, Iron Men is a very readable account of the building of the transcontinental railroad, effectively connection the East and West Coasts of the United States. Martin W. Sandler does a good job at weaving this story together. He tells the stories of the people who initially had the vision of this project, as well as the key players in the actual tasks of engineering and construction. He deals with the many obstacles that had to be surmounted as teams worked from each direction and eventually met in north central Utah. Included in the story are sidebars that illustrate the effect of construction of the railroad on things such as immigration and the development of towns and cities in areas had been previously considered to be uninhabitable. Lastly, Sandler has included many photographs of the construction process, making it easy to understand how challenging and massive this construction project was. I enjoyed reading this book and think that anyone else with an interest in the development of the American West will too.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a wonderful picturesque look at the building of the beginning of the modern age. With numerous pictures and first hand reports, (some sanitized for sensitive readers,) you can get a real sense of the trials and tribulations that the workers went through.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation provides an interesting, although somewhat limited history, of the building of the transcontinental railroad. It was a daunting task to build across 1,800 miles of mountains, rivers, desert, and plain prairie land. That it took six years, much of it during the Civil War, is not surprising. Using hand tools and thousands of immigrants (many of them Chinese) is a testament to the desire of visionaries to build a railroad that would connect the east and west, reduce travel time, and open up whole new areas for westward expansion. While the author briefly mentions the greed, corruption, and violence that made up building the railroad, it is more a story of the day to day building of the railroad which makes interesting, but incomplete understanding of the story. The book is aided by early photographs of the men and the land they had to conquer to complete the laying the track and changing America in ways that had many unintended consequences. It is a relatively quick read and written in clear language.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Iron Rails, Iron Men is an excellent introduction to the mammoth undertaking to join the east and west coasts by rail. The author introduces major figures for both the Central and Union Pacific companies. The story then moves backwards and forwards between the two groups as they move toward their eventual meeting.The focused pages on characters as diverse as Jack Casement, Buffalo Bill Cody, and William Tecumseh Sherman take the reader on interesting tangents. The story of the engineering and other feats of strength is engagingly written. In a manageable length, the reader learns of the Mormon contribution to the railroad, the impact Chinese laborers had on the perception and policy of Asian immigration, and the somewhat tarnished natures of the money men behind each railroad.This book is ideal for Grade 4 to 6 readers in a school or public library. This audience may explain why topics such as the treatment of Chinese workers, or the Credit Mobilier scandal, which are both mentioned, are not more fully developed. Similarly, the negative impact on the Native American tribes along the railroad's path are touched on but more as an obstacle to the endeavor than anything more substantial. The author's bibliography introduces a number of other works - my favorite being Dee Brown's "Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow" - for further reading, but may be above the level of the readers of this book. However, the author does an excellent job of distilling down a complicated topic to the essentials and making accessible one of the important events in American history.[review based on an advanced copy]
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Prolific author for school aged audiences, Martin W. Sandler has written a concise yet engaging overview of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad between 1863 and 1869, when two bands of steel breached the transportation gap between the east and west of the United States.The Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads, using the brawn of a vast army of immigrant Chinese and Irish labourers as well as demobilized Civil War veterans and Mormon settlers, overcame immense physical obstacles and environmental conditions through sheer force of will and immense feats of engineering to link the young nation from coast to coast.The author profiles the visionaries and common working people who accomplished this remarkable achievement in national building. Sandler also exposes the darker sides of this endeavor, the human toll, the crime and violence plagued “Hell on Wheels” settlements which arose and then disappeared along the length of the newly laid rail line, as well as the final intrusion by “civilization” into the homelands of Native Americans.Thematic sidebars, biographical profiles, maps and numerous historic images are supplemented with timelines, source notes, a bibliography and photo credits to make this volume an informative and inspiring read for students of history, regardless of their age.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    IRON RAILS, IRON MEN AND THE RACE TO LINK THE NATION by Martin W. Sandler tells the story of the transcontinental railroad.Aimed children 10-14, the easy-to-read narrative combined with compelling historical photographs brings this amazing story to life. By weaving in quotes by individuals who observed and participated in construction of the railroad, Sandler highlights the determination and personal sacrifice necessary to create this marvel of engineering. Historical photos, posters, maps, timeline, source notes, and a bibliography add to the appeal of this well-written work of nonfiction for youth. Of particular note is the epilogue that shares what happened to each of the individuals featured in the narrative.Librarians will particularly enjoy the extensive use of primary source documents. Create a display that includes this book along with other books about trains and railroads from the past to the present.Published by Candlewick Press on September 8, 2015.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very interesting account of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Upfront caveat - I did not realize that this was a young-adult or children's book when I requested it. I have read quite a bit on the Transcontinental RR and so wanted to see what this unknown-to-me author had to add on the subject.I have read next to no YA non-fiction so really have nothing to compare this to. The overall story of the UP & CP is there with period images. As others have said, the sizing of the book is odd (but maybe this is normal for kids books, I don't know). The inclusion of primary-source documents is good for a young audience learning how to learn about history.