Train: Riding the Rails That Created the Modern World---from the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief

by Tom Zoellner Narrated by Grover Gardner

Overview

Tom Zoellner loves trains with a ferocious passion. In his new book he chronicles the innovation and sociological impact of the railway technology that changed the world, and could very well change it again.



From the frigid Trans-Siberian Railroad to the antiquated Indian Railways to the futuristic maglev trains, Zoellner offers a stirring story of man's relationship with trains. Zoellner examines both the mechanics of the rails and their engines and how they helped societies evolve. Not only do trains transport people and goods in an efficient manner, but they also reduce pollution and dependency upon oil. Zoellner also considers America's culture of ambivalence to mass transit, using the perpetually stalled line between Los Angeles and San Francisco as a case study in bureaucracy and public indifference.



Train presents both an entertaining history of railway travel around the world while offering a serious and impassioned case for the future of train travel.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Tom Zoellner's writing is never less than engaging; in Train he has made himself a veritable Walt Whitman of rail travel." ---Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"Tom Zoellner's writing is never less than engaging; in Train he has made himself a veritable Walt Whitman of rail travel." —Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb

Library Journal - Audio

04/15/2014
Zoellner (The Heartless Stone) traveled to Great Britain, India, Russia, South America, and around the United States to ride trains and research this work. Unfortunately, he places a heavy emphasis on American trains, despite roughly 95 percent of Americans having never taken a train! Most enjoyable—particularly on audio—are interviews with the people he met on his journey. Narrator Grover Gardner is quite matter of fact as he presents the book's wide-ranging and varied content. VERDICT Die-hard train buffs might be disappointed if they expect in-depth or detailed information, but the title succeeds as a travelog and introductory work of train history and lore. ["A mesmerizing read for anyone interested in the impact of trains on the environment, politics, economics, and daily life around the world today," read the review of the Viking hc, LJ 2/1/14.]—Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL

FEBRUARY 2014 - AudioFile

Part history and part travelogue, this book about the world’s greatest railroads unspools like a leisurely train trip. And with narrator Grover Gardner as the conductor, it’s a most pleasant journey. His pace and tone exactly match the material—from authoritative and deliberate in the historical sections to relaxed and conversational in the more personal portions. His facility with accents (especially Irish) gives character to many of the direct quotations. The author uses trips on famous rail lines as the structure for a deeper exploration of the history and social impact of railroads, and Gardner delivers an engaging reading. The literary odyssey takes the listener from England to Siberia to India and even to the cutting edge of transportation. It’s a fun trip made more enjoyable by a capable narrator. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170550326
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	01/30/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged

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