A Great Book About Railroad History, Though only in the West
4 stars
Allitt provides a great, wide-ranging history of railroads and their influence across every aspect of society. It is, however, confined to the West, with the very small exception of a bit of history on colonial India and the Shinkansen. This is obviously a huge oversight given the centrality of rail in Eastern Asia, and it's borderline historical malpractice to leave out literally any Japanese train stations from the chapter on the world's great stations. Still, if you read the book as a social, cultural, and economic history of railroads in the West, it'll fit the bill.
It's also worth noting that it's clear Allitt has a real love for European and American railways, with personal anecdotes and museum/train ride recommendations throughout the book.
Highly recommend