audiobook Neither Snow nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service by Devin Leonard in History

Review

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful. The ups and downs of an essential American institutionBy Ashutosh S. JogalekarThe other day when I went to the post office to mail a package; I had little idea what kind of a tradition I was being a part of. Devin Leonard's book sheds light on this tradition. His book is an account of an essential American institution; one that also happens to be one of the largest; oldest and most efficient organizations in the world. Some of the statistics pertaining to the USPS are amazing: for instance it delivers more items in a week than FedEx does in a year; and every week 300;000 postal workers deliver 500 million pieces of mail around the nation. Essentially the USPS is responsible for 40 percent of the world's mail. Even with the advent of UPS; FedEx and the Internet; the post office is still a ubiquitous institution.The volume traces the history of the USPS through its founding by Benjamin Franklin who was the first postmaster general. During key historical events like the Revolutionary War and the Civil War; the post office served to rally the sensibilities of civic-minded citizens through the delivery of 'incendiary' material like abolitionist literature. Leonard talks about the growth of the post office across the emerging westward frontier in the 19th century; competition from private couriers (like Henry Wells who ultimately set up Well Fargo bank) which started as early as in the 1930s and the short-lived Pony Express which delivered mail from Missouri to California using a horse relay. Early postmen had to fight off Indian attacks and had to navigate harsh geographical territory to deliver email.There are amusing and interesting tidbits here: for instance; 'mailing' children reached alarming proportions before it was declared illegal. People also routinely tested the system by mailing fragile articles like eggs and fish. The book also does a good job laying out the social consequences of USPS policies. For instance rural free delivery which was started under Teddy Roosevelt's administration made it possible for farmers to know prices and the weather and freed them from rapacious customers and failed crops.The book also reveals a sometimes fascinating cast of characters. Among all government positions; the position of postmaster general is probably least known; but Leonard tells us how pioneering postmasters like John Wanamaker and James Farley (under the stamp-loving FDR) expanded the mandate of the post office; commissioned vivid murals and built post offices in far flung locations. A particularly entertaining character is Anthony Comstock who took it upon himself to stem the flow of prurient literature through the mail; and remarkably sought and acquired powers to arrest those guilty of this crime. In fact; efforts to stop pornographic material from making its way through the mail have always been periodic features of the evolution of the USPS; usually engendered by puritanical postmasters.One of the most readable parts of the book explores how intrepid (some would say foolhardy) pilots braved bad weather and primitive aircraft to prove that they could deliver mail faster than the railroad; some as early as only ten years after the Wright brothers's first flight. It's also interesting to note how the birth of the US Air Force can partially be traced to recognition of the poor quality of America's pilots and airplanes by way of airmail disasters.Unfortunately I thought the book got bogged down in too much detail in its latter half; even as it explored topics like competition by private mail delivery agents; the minutiae of legislative dealings between the USPS; unions and Congress; the great postal strike of 1970 which virtually brought the economy to a halt (attesting to the importance of the service) and occasional shootings by disgruntled postal employees that tarnished the image of the USPS. What would have sustained the interesting momentum in my opinion is stories of individual postmen and women; their triumphs and troubles and their dedication: one promising lead appears when the book talks about New York postmen stoically delivering mail even on 9/11; doing their duty and conveying a reassuring sense of continuity to a shell-shocked public. More such personal stories would have really enlivened the narrative. In addition I think there was a real opportunity to discuss more the logistics of the post office; all the myriad ways in which it deals with the stupendous amount of mail it receives every day.The book ends by noting that the only way the USPS has survived is by making pacts which would have been unthinkable a few decades ago: for instance it tells us that 40% of items are now carried by USPS; and most of its business now comes from junk mail. Budget cuts and losses continue to challenge its existence. But one thing the book makes clear is that whether it thrives or not; the USPS has been an integral part of the life of this country since its very beginnings. That's something worth thinking about the next time you step foot into your neighboring post office.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Entertaining; illuminating; and a sad commentary on American politicsBy Mal WarwickFor a guy who made his living for more than thirty years by writing letters and mailing hundreds of millions of copies of them; you might think I’d be familiar with the story of the US Postal Service. Unaccountably; I knew little before I read journalist Devin Leonard’s compact and engaging new popular history; Neither Snow Nor Rain. In Leonard’s account to learn just how significant the agency has been in building the American nation — and how much it has evolved since the days of our first postmaster general; Benjamin Franklin.The staggering scope of the US post officeLeonard makes clear at the outset that the postal service remains one of the world’s largest business enterprises; the rise of UPS; FedEx; and email notwithstanding. “Six days a week; its 300;000 letter carriers deliver 513 million pieces of mail; more than 40 percent of the world’s volume. . . [T]he USPS delivers more items in nine days than UPS does in a year. It transports more in seven days than FedEx brings to its customers in a year.” Leonard traces the history of this gargantuan institution from its beginnings in the late eighteenth century through the development of railroads; the telegraph; the telephone; the automobile; the airplane; and the Internet — every one of which substantially impacted the fortunes of the USPS. He introduces each one of these technological innovations; and every expansion of postal service; with an anecdote. The result is an eminently readable book. The story of the agency’s attempts to inaugurate air mail is especially entertaining.“The great link between minds”In the early years of the Republic; communications were spotty and almost always time-consuming. It could take weeks for a letter or a newspaper to travel from a city in the North to one in the South; or from a city in the East to one in the ever-widening West. Despite the cost; the US Postal Service undertook the challenge to reach every corner of the nation. Alexis de Tocqueville described the service in the 1820s as “the great link between minds. . . I do not think that so much intellectual activity exists in the most enlightened and populous district in France.” Leonard makes clear what in hindsight seems patently obvious: what was characterized as an “American character” could have emerged only through the linkages established by the postal system.Fighting tooth and nail to modernizeAmerica’s cantankerous brand of democratic politics has not served the postal system very kindly. Worldwide; despite its enormous size; the USPS stands out as an antiquated institution limited to delivering physical items; mostly letters; by hand. In other industrialized countries; the postal system is involved in a far wider range of activities that make it possible; in some cases; to become extremely profitable. Take; for example; Posti; the Finnish postal system; which (according to Wikipedia) consists of the four following divisions:Postal Services handles the delivery of letters; direct mail; and newspapers and magazines in Finland through its subsidiary Posti Oy.Parcel and Logistics Services offers comprehensive supply chain solutions; parcel and e-commerce services; transport services; international road; air; sea and rail freight services; warehousing or supplementary services and customs clearance services. The company provides global services through its partners.Itella Russia provides logistics services in Russia.OpusCapita provides financial process automation. OpusCapita has operations in eight European countries (Estonia; Finland; Germany; Latvia; Lithuania; Norway; Poland and Sweden) and a network of international partners covering the globe.Posti may be an extreme example. However; it is a public limited company in some ways similar to the US Postal Service. The difference is that the operations of the USPS are constantly prey to intervention by Congress and vulnerable to massive lobbying efforts by private industry. (The pressure brought to bear by the direct marketing industry to keep bulk postal rates below USPS costs is one egregious example.) Congress has never been willing to grant full autonomy to the postal service. As a result; politics has almost invariably frustrated the frequent efforts over the years to modernize the USPS; largely because that would open up competition for private companies. The upshot is well known: in recent decades; the postal service has perennially operated at a deficit.About the authorDevin Leonard is a business journalist who has worked for Bloomberg BusinessWeek; Fortune; and The New York Observer. His articles have also appeared in The New York Times; Wired; and many other publications.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A First-Class History LessonBy Kindle CustomerThis book is nothing short of fantastic! Author Leonard has a well-documented and extremely well-written effort here. Jammed with fascinating facts and historical accounts of the USPS early days. He then traces the evolution of the Post Office Department through the early and mid-1800s; the Civil War and the establishment of home delivery; the rationale behind the creation of money orders; the foresight and derrings-do of various postmasters general; the determination and firm resolve to bring air mail service to America; rural free delivery and its pros and cons; in short; a cannot-put-down read of the growth of a nation and a postal service that kept pace with that growth. This book would be a superb gift for the American history or trivia buff or someone with even the merest interest in postal workings. You cannot go wrong with this one. Highly enjoyable reading; no dry; dull; boring stuff here. The USPS comes alive. Read. Enjoy. And learn a fact or two of a vital; most integral part of our country's history.