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Historical Atlas of the North American Railroad
     

Historical Atlas of the North American Railroad

3.0 2
by Derek Hayes
 

America’s long romance with the train has been the subject of many books, but none has used contemporary maps to comprehensively illustrate the story. Until now. Here the latest of Derek Hayes’s historical atlases delves into the history of the railroad in North America, from its origins in Britain in the 1820s and short lines connecting Eastern
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Overview


America’s long romance with the train has been the subject of many books, but none has used contemporary maps to comprehensively illustrate the story. Until now. Here the latest of Derek Hayes’s historical atlases delves into the history of the railroad in North America, from its origins in Britain in the 1820s and short lines connecting Eastern Seaboard rivers in the 1830s to Amtrak and the modern intermodal freights driving today’s railroad revival. Colorful and informative, the book covers a vast range of topics and offers an impressive array of types of railroad map, from the purely utilitarian to the gorgeously promotional. Nearly 400 old railroad maps, most in full color, plus many historical photos, brochures, and posters, combine to provide a new perspective on the North American railroad. Historical Atlas of the North American Railroad also explains how the railroad transformed the economic and social life of a continent, fundamentally changing the two North American nations it linked from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
"Sumptuously spilling over with period maps, posters, and images as well as impeccable historical data. Steel-wheels heads of all gauges will find it enlightening and entertaining."--American History

"Consider this another spectacular atlas from accomplished geographer Hayes. . . . [His] latest atlas is a delight."--Library Journal

"This atlas serves as a fascinating reference and is also just plain fun to browse through."--Classic Trains

"Impressive. . . . Lavishly illustrated, beautifully bound, and richly textured, this volume stunningly reproduces the visual culture of the railroad."--Great Plains Research

American History

“Sumptuously spilling over with period maps, posters, and images as well as impeccable historical data. Steel-wheels heads of all gauges will find it enlightening and entertaining.”
Classic Trains - J.W.

“This atlas serves as a fascinating reference and is also just plain fun to browse through.”
Great Plains Research - William G. Thomas

“Impressive. . . . Lavishly illustrated, beautifully bound, and richly textured, this volume stunningly reproduces the visual culture of the railroad.”
Library Journal
Consider this another spectacular atlas from accomplished geographer Hayes, author of a number of historical works, including these recently published by the University of California Press: Historical Atlas of the United States (2006), Historical Atlas of California (2007), and Historical Atlas of the American West (2009)—the LJ review for the latter notes that "among the most interesting [maps] are those that were part of promotionals produced by the regional railroads and real estate interests to entice easterners to go west." Hayes has now assembled nearly 400 similar maps, beautifully reproduced in full color, that trace the development of railroads in the United States and Canada from their local and regional beginnings in the early 19th century, through their heyday in the early and mid-20th century, to the era of mergers for survival as the century drew to a close. They provide the primary-source documentation, along with other illustrations, for the historical narrative written for general readers. In addition to extensive captions, there is a "Map Catalog" that lists all the maps with their sources and accession numbers when applicable. BOTTOM LINE Similar in scope is Bill Yenne's Atlas of North American Railroads (MBI, 2005), while John Westwood's The Historical Atlas of World Railroads (Firefly Books, 2009) expands the geographical bounds. Hayes's latest atlas is a delight—highly recommended for all public and academic libraries, railroad buffs, and map enthusiasts.—Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL

Product Details

ISBN-13:
9780520266162
Publisher:
University of California Press
Publication date:
10/06/2010
Pages:
224
Sales rank:
996,594
Product dimensions:
13.16(w) x 11.78(h) x 1.00(d)

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher
"Sumptuously spilling over with period maps, posters, and images as well as impeccable historical data. Steel-wheels heads of all gauges will find it enlightening and entertaining."—American History

"Consider this another spectacular atlas from accomplished geographer Hayes. . . . [His] latest atlas is a delight."—Library Journal

"This atlas serves as a fascinating reference and is also just plain fun to browse through."—Classic Trains

Meet the Author


Derek Hayes is the author of many books, including Historical Atlas of the United States, Historical Atlas of California, and Historical Atlas of the American West, all from UC Press.

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Historical Atlas of the North American Railroad 3 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 2 reviews.
Chet-the-Lone-Wolf-Rider More than 1 year ago
This is an atlas, meaning maps! It could have been a great book, but all the maps are shrunken down to where they are not readable. Should have been full paged.
Anonymous More than 1 year ago