Moulin reviewed Blood, iron & gold by Christian Wolmar
None
4 stars
Railways is one of the most transforming technologies in modern human history (some others being the printing press, steam engines and the electrical telegraph), so I would expect there to be a lot of books written about the railway's social and economical impact on societies. For some reason there isn't though (as written in the bibliography section of the book) and that serves, writes Wolmar, as one of the reasons for writing this book. I commend author for making the effort and it puts the book in the four star category for me.
The book covers a lot which is both its weakness and strength. It covers the first innovators, the first laid railroads, the cost for building the railways (in terms of both men and money), the big transcontinental projects, the economics of transporting goods and people and the changes it brought to cities and society at large, changes …
Railways is one of the most transforming technologies in modern human history (some others being the printing press, steam engines and the electrical telegraph), so I would expect there to be a lot of books written about the railway's social and economical impact on societies. For some reason there isn't though (as written in the bibliography section of the book) and that serves, writes Wolmar, as one of the reasons for writing this book. I commend author for making the effort and it puts the book in the four star category for me.
The book covers a lot which is both its weakness and strength. It covers the first innovators, the first laid railroads, the cost for building the railways (in terms of both men and money), the big transcontinental projects, the economics of transporting goods and people and the changes it brought to cities and society at large, changes in comfort for passengers, the military uses of the railroads for both suppressing uprisings and transporting troops and materials during the two world wars, the decline of the railroads after the second world war and the renaissance following the first high speed rails in Japan and the looming threat of global warming. It is a lot for one book.
I was mostly interested in the economic impact and inevitable those sections of the book felt short to me. Cronon's [b:Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West|75243|Nature's Metropolis Chicago and the Great West|William Cronon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327794569l/75243.SY75.jpg|72782] covers the subject I'm interested better, even though it is about the economic development of Chicago during the 19th century the railway (and telegraph) is integral part of that transformation. Still Wolmar gives some insight to how life was changed after railways spread out. For example how cows disappeared from cities (at least London and New York) because it became possible for farmers to send milk to cities on freight trains. Or how local or regional crop failures didn't necessarily mean famines as crops could be transported over long distances by trains. It also of course led to an increase in international trade which led to further specialization of professions. Certain wines managed to rise to prominence as they could be transported and sold much farther away. Or how local times in USA were replaced with a national system for time keeping so the time tables for trains would make sense. Or how it was instrumental in the development of mass tourism. While there are more examples in the book I would have liked to see even more and a deeper dive into the examples given.
I didn't mind the subjects covered which I wasn't particularly interested in, but I can imagine readers interested in those subjects wanting a bit more.
In conclusion a good a readable overview of the impact of the railways on society. I hope Wolmar succeeds in his professed aim to inspire academics and railway writers to fill the large gaps still remaing on the subject.