The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.56 (916 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1250061350 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 432 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-08-12 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
In the late nineteenth century, as cities like Boston and New York grew more congested, the streets became clogged with plodding, horse-drawn carts. When the great blizzard of 1888 crippled the entire northeast, a solution had to be found. The Race Underground is a great American saga of two rival American cities, their rich, powerful and sometimes corrupt interests, and an invention that changed the lives of millions.. Two brothers from one of the nation's great families-Henry Melville Whitney of Boston and William Collins Whitney of New York-pursued the dream of his city digging America's first subway, and the great race was on. Doug Most chronicles the science of the subway, looks at the centuries of fears people overcame about traveling underground and tells a story as exciting as any ever ripped from the pages of U.S. history. The competition between Boston and New York played out in an era not unlike our own, one of economic upheaval, life-changing innovations, class warfare, bitter political tensions, and the question o
It was a time when great minds turned themselves toward bettering the world they lived in, but in some ways the past seems all too familiar. --Chris Schluep. The Race Underground offers a colorful and informative description of that bygone era. Not only were the modern cities of the world filled with horses, they were filled with their excrement, along with all the billowing smoke and caked dirt that modern industry of the time could produce. But Most ties the story together through two less famous, more essential brothers: Henry Whitney of Boston and William Whitney of New York. Most shows how getting through government intransigence and payola was as daunting as getting a hole carved through the earth. Famous names surface throughout the book--men like Andrew Carnegie, Boss Tweed, and Thomas Edison. The truth is much more complicated and fascinating than that. city. An Best Book o
Interesting subject, but misleading and poorly put together. The biggest problem with this book was that this was sold as a great rivalry to build the first subway in America, fought tirelessly by two brothers who would reshape the way many of us get around the city and the country. The only part of that lure that was true was the part that reshaped the way that many of us get around the country. Other than that, it really was never a thrilling story. Mr. Most jumped around, never sticking to the story line on the inside jacket of the book, . Wayne said Keep on Digging. I really enjoy historical novels and since I lived in New York in my "Keep on Digging" according to Wayne. I really enjoy historical novels and since I lived in New York in my 20's, my days of riding the train are etched in my mind. The details of both of the digs and the important place they have not only to the two cities but to our nation are incredible.. 0's, my days of riding the train are etched in my mind. The details of both of the digs and the important place they have not only to the two cities but to our nation are incredible.. Way too much detail about these subway projects. The Way too much detail about these subway projects. The book was too long fore the subject matter. But it was interesting and well written.
He is the author of Always in Our Hearts: The Story of Amy Grossberg, Brian Peterson, the Pregnancy They Hid and the Child They Killed. He has written for Sports Illustrated, Runner's World and Parents and his stories have appeared in Best American Crime Writing and Best American Sports Writing. He lives in Needham, Massachusetts.. Doug Most is the deputy managing editor for features at T