Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to..., Martin W. Sandler
Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to..., Martin W. Sandler
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Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation
The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad

Author: Martin W. Sandler

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Unabridged: 4 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 09/08/2015

Synopsis

Experience the race of rails to link the country—and meet the men behind this incredible feat—in a riveting story about the building of the transcontinental railroad, brought to life with archival photos. In the 1850s, gold fever swept the West, but people had to walk, sail, or ride horses for months on end to seek their fortune. The question of faster, safer transportation was posed by national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? It seemed impossible. Eventually, two railroad companies, the Central Pacific, which laid the tracks eastward, and the Union Pacific, which moved west, began the job. In one great race between iron men with iron wills, tens of thousands of workers blasted the longest tunnels that had ever been constructed, built the highest bridges that had ever been created, and finally linked the nation by two bands of steel, changing America forever.

About Martin W. Sandler

Martin W. Sandler has written more than seventy books for children and adults and has written and produced seven television series. The Impossible Rescue: The True Story of an Amazing Arctic Adventure received four starred reviews, was a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner, and a YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults nominee. He has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and has won multiple Emmy Awards. He says, “I have always believed that truth can be far more exciting than fiction. I love writing true stories about people who have overcome enormous odds and have accomplished great things. The building of the transcontinental railroad is not only such a story; but it is, I believe, America’s greatest adventure.” Martin W. Sandler lives with his wife, Carol, in Massachusetts.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Christina on March 04, 2018

Having watched AMC’s Hell on Wheels awhile back, I’ve been vaguely interested in finding out more about the construction of the transcontinental railroad and that neglected period of history. This book is a wonderful introduction to the topic—brief enough to give a quick overview but detailed enough......more

Goodreads review by Evan on July 17, 2020

Every year for my 8th graders unit on The West, I focus the unit around the Transcontinental Railroad. It signifies so much about the changes in the American West at that time, both good and bad. The students do a big research project from four different perspectives: railways passengers, railway ow......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth on October 09, 2015

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation is a well researched, thorough book that would be perfect for any reader who loves the history of trains. Sandler covers a wide range of topics within the transcontinental railroad project, from the corruption at the......more

Goodreads review by Susan on May 12, 2022

Read this to a child who is really interested in the Gold Rush part of history. This book followed along perfectly and writes about the race to build the railroad in an engaging way. There's enough detail to give you some understanding of the main people involved, major challenges and complexities w......more

Goodreads review by Neil on December 01, 2016

A quick read that really puts you in the times. I found it interesting and I got a good overview of the event without getting into a lot of minutiae. For someone who knows nothing about the building of the transcontinental railroad I think you would find this well worth reading. For someone looking......more

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