
Railroaded
The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America
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Narrated by:
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Paul Woodson
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By:
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Richard White
The transcontinental railroads of the late 19th century were the first corporate behemoths. Their attempts to generate profits from proliferating debt sparked devastating panics in the US economy. Their dependence on public largess drew them into the corridors of power, initiating new forms of corruption. Their operations rearranged space and time, and remade the landscape of the West. As wheel and rail, car and coal, they opened new worlds of work and ways of life.
Their discriminatory rates sparked broad opposition and a new antimonopoly politics. With characteristic originality, range, and authority, Richard White shows the transcontinentals to be pivotal actors in the making of modern America. But the triumphal myths of the golden spike, robber barons larger than life, and an innovative capitalism all die here. Instead we have a new vision of the Gilded Age, often darkly funny, that shows history to be rooted in failure as well as success.
©2011 Richard White (P)2018 TantorListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"White delivers an opinionated, delightfully witty but astute account of sleazy Gilded Age politics, business, and journalism, as well as the complex (but uncomfortably familiar) financial maneuvers men used to enrich themselves." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
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Correcting the Myth of the Transcontinentals
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The depth and breadth of the research very effectively prove the points Mr. White is trying to convey to the reader. In some instances, the depth he goes into can bog down the overall flow of the book, but overall, I found it a very compelling story. In so many ways, there are so many parallels between Gilded Age financiers and politicians and our current day. Narration is solid overall.
Very In Depth and Enlightening
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Great Way to Tell the History
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Too much detail for an audiobook
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This erudite, 360-degree examination of the 1880-1929 Rail Boom tells us why 90% of the money invested was stolen, and why nobody won the race to build a transcontinental railway, because nobody built one.
A wonderful journey!
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A different view of a famous subject
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I always enjoy learning history, so I did enjoy “Railroaded”, however Mr. White also demonstrated a very strong hatred of the wealthy. The vast majority of the wealthy individuals in the book are described negatively as incompetent, corrupt and worse...repeatedly. Perhaps they were; as I said Mr. White demonstrated his expertise. However he also demonstrated a bias.
Expertise and Bias
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A history of fraud
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Ambitious topic that does not deliver a good story
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Great if you like Politics/Finance otherwise not
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