Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-69
'Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-69' by author Stephen E. Ambrose is a fascinating history that delves into the planning and construction of the transcontinental railroad. The narrative focuses on the race to lay tracks from both termini of the railroad, culminating in the joining at Promontory, Utah. Ambrose weaves together elements of politics, finance, fraud, and intrigue, providing a detailed account of this monumental undertaking. is described as an engaging read that offers insight into the challenges faced by those involved in building the railroad, while also highlighting the significant impact it had on American society during the 19th century.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings may include discussions on labor exploitation, violence towards Native Americans, and the harsh realities of labor conditions.
From The Publisher:
Nothing Like It in the World gives the account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision, and courage. It is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad-the investors who risked their businesses and money; the enlightened politicians who understood its importance; the engineers and surveyors who risked, and sometimes lost, their lives; and the Irish and Chinese immigrants, the defeated Confederate soldiers, and the other laborers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks.
The U.S. government pitted two companies-the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads-against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. Locomotives, rails, and spikes were shipped from the East through Panama or around South America to the West or lugged across the country to the Plains. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise, with its huge expenditure of brainpower, muscle, and sweat, comes vibrantly to life.
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About the Author:
Stephen E. Ambrose was a renowned historian and acclaimed author of more than thirty books. Among his New York Times bestsellers are Nothing Like It in the World, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, D-Day - June 6, 1944, and Undaunted Courage. Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans and a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History.
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