Beginning with Frederick Douglass's escape from slavery in 1838 on the railroad; and ending with the driving of the golden spike to link the transcontinental railroad in 1869; this book charts a critical period of American expansion and national formation; one largely dominated by the dynamic growth of railroads and telegraphs. William G. Thomas brings new evidence to bear on railroads; the Confederate South; slavery; and the Civil War era; based on groundbreaking research in digitized sources never available before. The Iron Way revises our ideas about the emergence of modern America and the role of the railroads in shaping the sectional conflict.Both the North and the South invested in railroads to serve their larger purposes; Thomas contends. Though railroads are often cited as a major factor in the Union's victory; he shows that they were also essential to the formation of "the South" as a unified region. He discusses the many—and sometimes unexpected—effects of railroad expansion and proposes that America's great railroads became an important symbolic touchstone for the nation's vision of itself.Please visit the Railroads and the Making of Modern America website at http://railroads.unl.edu.
#1780096 in Books 2011-09-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x .60 x 6.10l; .85 #File Name: 0300177666256 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very Interesting Book; Highly Recommended....By mdwrightThis is a very informative and interesting book about the Battle of Marathon. It's very well written; as well as very easy to read. Krentz makes his point(s); then presents the evidence to support his statements. As an amateur historian I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There are a lot of pictures and maps in the paperback edition. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to learn more about the Battle of Marathon or about Greek history.17 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Excellent one-volume analysis of MarathonBy Mark P. JohnsonAn excellent and highly readable analysis of what may be the most significant battle in Western history. If the Athenians had not won at Marathon; it is easy to conclude that Athens' young democracy would have fallen and Greece with it. Peter Krentz does a fine job in telling the reader that; but I found more interesting his analysis of why Athens won the battle. He uses a practical approach to debunk many scholars' skepticism about the battle tactics; especially the famous running charge at the Persian lines. Many have said that the Athenian hoplites could not have run a mile in full battle gear and gone straight into the fight. By using a simple; practical tool; Krentz proves that the Athenians not only could have done it; but they undoubtedly did.Many books of this type are short on useful illustrations. This book has an excellent mix of old and new maps; old engravings; new pictures; and even satellite imagery; the combination of these images provides the reader with a nearly three-dimensional view of the battlefield.For amateur historians (like me); Krentz' book and Barry Strauss' Battle of Salamis make a good book-end combination on the Persian Wars. It is interesting that both Krentz and Strauss trained under Donald Kagan; whose four-volume history of the Peloponnesian War may be the finest work of history published in decades. Taken together; these books provide any reader with a fine history of the ups and downs of Athens in the golden age of the 5th Century B.C. And they are all accessible to the non-academic reader. I recommend these books.1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Good Reference -- But I Missed the DramaBy Helena P. SchraderPeter Krentz provides a meticulous analysis of the Battle of Marathon in his recent release with Yale University Press; The Battle of Marathon (London: 2010). He provides a succinct description of the events leading up to the Persian-Greek confrontation on the famous plain north of Athens and then carefully dissects every aspect of the battle itself from the equipment to the topography. Krentz knows his sources well but does not drag his reader down into the weeds of academic bickering. Rather; he marshals the evidence in a coherent and comprehensible fashion; topic by topic. Particularly impressive is his analysis of the geography of the plain of Marathon (and how it has changed over the centuries); and the physical stamina required to run a mile in full panoply.Krentz goes a long way to refute aspersions cast on the credibility of Herodotus' account by later historians; and effectively defends the ancient historian's version of events. Krentz's key argument is that Athenian hoplites could indeed have "run" (defined as jogging at ca. 4.5 miles per hour or more) for one mile across a plain in full battle gear. He also does an excellent job of explaining why this would have been desirable. His analysis of the battle itself is altogether convincing and plausible.Another outstanding feature of the book is the illustrations. The maps; charts and reproductions of contemporary art illustrate the points made in the text cogently. The variety of images; far more diverse that the standard fare found in most books on the topic; is impressive. I came away better able to visualize Persian forces; something I have long wanted to do. Indeed; Krentz's impressive collection of contemporary art showing Persian warriors shames other sources that singularly fail to make it possible to imagine how these fierce fighters dressed and fought.Yet; while Krentz's book is a good reference; it is not a narrative. Anyone interested in the tale of Marathon will be disappointed. Krentz provides some skeletal; biographical facts about the key actors in the drama; but fails to describe or even sketch the personality of any of the leaders; not even Miltiades; much less bring them to life. He outlines the causes of the conflict; without conveying a sense of the "life and times;" or the society and issues at stake in a way that makes the reader identify with the protagonists. Most important; despite its merits; this book is evidently not intended (and so not constructed) to arouse emotions or create suspense. Maybe I am too much of a novelist; but I firmly believe it is possible - and more effective - to tell the story of Marathon in a way that is not only 100% accurate; but also exciting; moving and inspiring.
