Empire Express – Building the First Transcontinental Railroad ~ Bain

Description

From the western & Civil War research/reference library of Jerry Crandall

Empire Express – Building the First Transcontinental Railroad 

by David Haward Bain

Condition; good, shelf wear on soft cover

Penguin Books, 2000

After the Civil War, the building of the transcontinental railroad was the nineteenth century’s most transformative event. Beginning in 1842 with a visionary’s dream to span the continent with twin bands of iron, Empire Express captures three dramatic decades in which the United States effectively doubled in size, fought three wars, and began to discover a new national identity. From self–made entrepreneurs such as the Union Pacific’s Thomas Durant and era–defining figures such as President Lincoln to the thousands of laborers whose backbreaking work made the railroad possible, this extraordinary narrative summons an astonishing array of voices to give new dimension not only to this epic endeavor but also to the culture, political struggles, and social conflicts of an unforgettable period in American history.