Nothing Like it in the World

Nothing Like it in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869
By: Stephen E. Ambrose
Copyright: 2000
A Touchstone Book

3 Bookmarks out of 5

This book came into my rather large book collection from my boyfriend. He had bought it because he had heard good things about Stephen Ambrose as an author. However, he was discouraged about the length of the book (382 pages) and didn't know if he was really interested in the subject matter. Knowing that I am a huge fan of trains, he asked me if I wanted it. Never turning down a book free of charge, I happily accepted it. And luckily for me, I had a Sunday off of work so I was able to read it in a relatively short amount of time.

This book really struck me as a book geared towards a general audience. It covered how the railroad was built - beginning with Lincoln's fascination with the railroad during his time as a senator and ending in 1869 with the meeting of the two railroads at Promontory Summit in Utah. This book covered how the railroad came about and how both the Union Pacific and Central Pacific went to great lengths to join the east and west of the United States. If you're looking for a book that covers vast detail and continues your education of the railroad, this is not that book. Ambrose writes for the layperson to understand, which makes the 382 pages less stressful to read. He follows the story by dividing his time between both railroads, which all but re-creates the tension of the race to see which railroad could build the furthest, the fastest.

However, what I was most disappointed with in this book was the fact that Ambrose really breezes over some critical aspects of the railroad. He fails to look into the virtual enslavement of the Chinese while working for the Central Pacific. If the Chinese were ever upset about something and attempted to leave or protest, they would be whipped or be kept from supplies so that they starved. Ambrose also fails to examine the railroad from the point of view from the various native tribes. Instead, Ambrose discusses this detail through the eyes of those working on the railroad. Unfortunately, this depiction is less than friendly and does not give the complete picture. The title certainly doesn't lie when it says 'the men' who built the railroad - women are only mentioned as the strong companions of the men who created this engineering feat.

Other than that, I felt like Ambrose was uninspired while writing this book. He failed to capture the emotion in many of the men working on the railroad. The only person in the entire book I felt an empathy with was Theodore Judah, who was the architect of the railroad and was eventually overshadowed by the Big Four. He died before he could see the completion of the railroad. I wish Ambrose had dug into the emotions of those involved more. I also wish that Ambrose had not repeated so many facts. While making your way through the book, the reader will notice little things that are repeated chapter after chapter. For some, this will be a nice reminder. For other readers, this will become an annoyance.

Overall, I was not disappointed in this book and reading it took me back to late-nineteenth century America. I could envision what the West looked like at that time when it was virtually untouched by human hands. I admired how these men built the entire railroad by hand. But, ultimately, I came away from the book with a lack of inspiration. Instead of feeling inspired by the spirit of American and ingenuity, I wanted more about what the players in this plot felt. I would pick it up if you need a basic understanding of the railroad, but pass on the book if you're looking for a book that deals with the tough question of what American expansion into the West really meant.