Blood, Iron, and Gold
How the Railways Transformed the World
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Blood, Iron, and Gold
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Narrated by:
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Michael Tudor Barnes
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By:
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Christian Wolmar
About this listen
Blood, Iron, and Gold reveals the huge impact of the railways as they spread rapidly across the world, linking cities that had hitherto been isolated, stimulating both economic growth and social change on an unprecedented scale. From Panama to the Punjab, Christian Wolmar describes the vision and determination of the pioneers who developed railways that would one day span continents, as well as the labour of the navvies who built this global network.
Wolmar shows how cultures were enriched – and destroyed – by the unrelenting construction and how they had a vital role in civil conflict, as well as in two world wars. Indeed, the global expansion of the railways was key to the spread of modernity and the making of the modern world.
©2009 Christian Wolmar (P)2010 SoundingsListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Blood, Iron, and Gold
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mister Peridot
- 09-11-17
Excellent
The author does a wonderful job here of writing up the history of all the world's railways in a single volume. Thats a big undertaking and of course not every branch line in Patagonia is described in detail. But for non-Patagonians the coverage and selection of material seems admirable, remarkable even given its scope. Wolmar has a lively personal style done full justice by the reader, Tudor Barnes. Railways are a hugely important part of world history over the past two centuries and as the author reminds, rumours of their demise are certainly exaggerated. Picturesque and full of surprises, this is a great book for anyone who appreciates railways past & present.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Mr. Adrian Mcmenamin
- 23-12-12
Fascinating, but maybe too broad
This is a fascinating book and gives a real insight into the social and political impact of the railways, but maybe it suffers a little from being too broad and too fond of a travelogue style.
The author's claim that railways were the most important invention of the second millennium is possibly too great a reach - after all the railways came as a consequence of the industrial revolution - but he certainly makes a very strong case for their fundamental impact on all aspects of human society. It is just, through his desire to cover all the continents in a similar depth and to come right up to the present he misses an opportunity to give us a deeper perspective.
Well voiced and easy to listen to.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 13-12-21
Not bad, but somewhat lacking in flair
It passed the time, in part on a £90 return journey from London to Swansea. (The author didn't mention rip off fares once!)
I'd say it's lacking in good stories and social history. But if you're interested in a broad summary of how railways spread across the globe, this will do the job nicely.
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