Blood, Iron And Gold

Posted on 20 April 2017 by Christian Wolmar

The opening of the world s first railroad in Britain and America in 1830 marked the dawn of a new age Within the course of a decade, tracks were being laid as far afield as Australia and Cuba, and by the outbreak of World War I, the United States alone boasted over a quarter of a million miles With unrelenting determination, architectural innovation, and under gruesome labor conditions, a global railroad network was built that forever changed the way people lived From Panama to Punjab, from Tasmania to Turin, Christian Wolmar shows how cultures were enriched, and destroyed, by one of the greatest global transport revolutions of our time, and celebrates the visionaries and laborers responsible for its creation. Read Blood, Iron And Gold By Christian Wolmar – kino-fada.fr I would not have expected to be fascinated with the idea of rail gauges but I was I certainly never knew how central they were to both the history of the railways and the history of the modern world Only one example is necessary The Tsar decided to use a non standard gauge for the Russian railway, fearing the ability of enemies to use the rails to invade This very fact made transport very difficult for the invading Nazis during World War IITrains are made to fit the track and vice versa I would not have expected to be fascinated with the idea of rail gauges but I was I certainly never knew how central they were to both the history of the railways and the history of the modern world Only one example is necessary The Tsar decided to use a non standard gauge for the Russian railway, fearing the ability of enemies to use the rails to invade This very fact made transport very difficult for the invading Nazis during World War IITrains are made to fit the track and vice versa So, if a country is not consistent in its choice of gauges, easy travel over the country s territory is made difficult passengers having to change trains when they reach a different line The same is true as Russia proved of international travel I think his discussion of nationalization is very important He believes, as did ...Christian Wolmar s Blood, Iron and Gold examines the history of the railways or railroads, depending on which side of the Atlantic you are from the perspective of their social and economical impact It reviews the spread of the railways, the challenges of building them, the way they were accepted and incorporated to different socie...While Wolmar mentions on a number of occasions farthan many other writers might the role of workers in building the railways and keeping them running, he occasionally mentions their strikes too But I think he underplays the significant role that the railways have played in working class struggle precisely because they are a central feature of industrial capitalism and bring together large numbers of organised workers The railways helped keep all sides fighting in World War One But the While Wolmar mentions on a number of occasions farthan many other writers might the role of workers in building the railways and keeping them running, he occasionally mentions their strikes too But I think he underplays the significant role that the railways have played in working class struggle precis...Not too in depth and often really clunkily written, but it makes up for it by being, well, not too in depth and rabidly enthusiastic about the subject Much use of the delighted exclamation mark Maybe soo...During the 1999 Internet Bubble it seemed every learned article was trumpeting that The Internet Changed the World and that it s a New Economy Fortunately for me, I stumbled across Jim Rogers Adventure Capitalist where he pointed out Canals changed the worldRailroads changed the worldAutomobiles changed the worldRadio changed the worldTelevision changed the worldI spent over a decade occasionally wondering exactly how did railroads change the world but I hadn t come across a book that f During the 1999 Internet Bubble it seemed every learned article was trumpeting that The Internet Changed the World and that it s a New Economy Fortunately for me, I stumbled across Jim Rogers Adventure Capitalist where he pointed out Canals changed the worldRailroads changed the worldAutomobiles changed the worldRadio changed the worldTelevision changed the worldI spent over a decade occasionally wondering exactly how did railroads change the world but I hadn t come across a book that focused on it Blood, Iron and Gold nicely summarized the available information, though the title Blood, Iron and Gauge might have beenaccurateRailroads created and ...Christian Wolmar s Blood, Iron and Gold is an accessible history of what might be termed the unsung technological hero in human development since the early decades of the 19th Century.To be interested in or enthusiastic about railways is often derided as a bit odd or sad Even the book s jacket makes mention of anoraks and trainspotters What Wolmar demonstrates very effectively is just how narrowly focused this view is Without railways human society as we understand and experience it today w Christian Wolmar s Blood, Iron and Gold is an accessible history of what might be termed the unsung technological hero in human development since the early decades of the 19th Century.To be interested in or enthusiastic about railways is often derided as a bit odd or sad Even the book s jacket m...Kunnianhimoinen tavoite t ll kirjalla mahduttaa maailman rautateiden ja niiden yhteiskunnallisten, kulttuuristen ja poliittisten vaikutusten historia 330 sivuun Wolmar onnistuu kuitenkin tarjoamaan kaikki mantereet kattavan tiiviin yleisesityksen, jossa on amat rille paikoitellen v h n raskaasti teknist termist , mutta my s el vi kuvauksia junamatkailun konkreettisesta todellisuudesta eri paikoissa ja eri aikoina, samoin kuin heroois traagillisia kertomuksia varhaisten rautateiden rakennu Kunnianhimoinen tavoite t ll kirjalla mahduttaa maailman rautateiden ja niiden yhteiskunnallisten, kulttuuristen ja poliittisten vaikutusten historia 330 sivuun Wolmar onnistuu kuitenkin tarjoamaan kaikki mantereet kattavan tiiviin yleisesityksen, jossa on amat rille paikoitellen v h n raskaasti teknist termist , mutta my s el vi kuvauksia junamat...Outside of the wheel, the railways may be the single most influential form of transportation ever invented by human beings This is a bold claim, but one encouraged by this excellent and engaging survey of rail transport s effect on human history Originating in Britain, railways took the world by storm, crossing continents and knitting the world together with roads of irons The rails became the backbones of economies, the skeletons on which new nations like Germany and Italy grew economies we Outside of the wheel, the railways may be the single most influential form of transportation ever invented by human beings This is a ...I love trains, history and anecdotes that this book is replete with However writing a global history is difficult to do without being generic, sections I skimmed through.Having enjoyed the specifics, I have bought Mr Wolmar s Rail...A very good read and well documented information If you like trains and even if you like history of many countries this is also a very good read I really like trains as they are efficent, they create less of an environmental impact on the earth They arecomfortable and stress free from vehicles and airplanes Without b...

English
20 April 2017

Christian Wolmar