In The Great Railroad Revolution, renowned railroad expert Christian Wolmar tells the extraordinary story of the rise and the fall of the greatest of all American endeavors, and argues that the time has come for America to reclaim and celebrate its often-overlooked rail heritage.

"In the late nineteenth century, as cities like Boston and New York grew larger, the streets became increasingly clogged with horse-drawn carts. When the great blizzard of 1888 brought New York City to a halt, a solution had to be found. Two brothers--Henry Melville Whitney of Boston and William Collins Whitney of New York City--pursued the dream of his city being the first American metropolis to have a subway and the great race was on. The competition...

Excerpt: "In reverent and affectionate retrospective view of the influences and conditions which had power and made mark upon the settlement of New England, we are apt to affirm with earnest sentiment that religion was the one force, the one aim, the one thought, of the lives of our forbears. It was indeed an ever present thought and influence in their lives; but they possessed another trait which is as evident in their records as their piety, and...

"One of the "50 most powerful women in the world" (The Times), best-selling author Rosabeth Moss Kanter tackles America's most urgent domestic issue. America is stuck: just look at our crumbling roads and bridges, mismanaged railways, old-fashioned and easily overloaded air traffic control system, and perpetual lack of political will to do anything about it all. In contrast, take a trip around the world. Whiz through the "Chunnel" connecting England...

"What was it like to travel while Black under Jim Crow? Mia Bay brings this dramatic history to life. With gripping stories and a close eye on the rail, bus, and airline operators who implemented segregation, she shows why access to unrestricted mobility has been central to the Black freedom struggle since Reconstruction and remains so today"--

"Why is it that the mass transit systems of American cities are, by and large, inadequate? It's a common question and one that has generated substantial scholarship. But Jake Berman's The Lost Subways of North America offers a new way to consider it: a visual--and fun--journey through the past, present, and possible future of urban transit. Featuring Berman's own colorful maps of old, often forgotten streetcar lines, lost ideas for never-built transit,...