Merging Lines : American Railroads, 1900-1970

Rating:
Summary: An excellent railroad history
Review: I liked this book so much I have read it twice. It is highly readable and very informative. I would recommend it to all train buffs as well as those interested in American history. The author does an excellent job of explaining the trends and events in American railroading for the time period stated and does it in a way which made it hard to put the book down. The author is soon coming out with a sequel and I will buy it as soon as it is available.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent if dry in parts
Review: Saunders revises and expands his earlier work on the origins of Conrail. As such it is an interesting and useful overview of the problems of American railroading. He is, in my view, properly hard on management and government's failures. I think his treatment of labor is evenhanded, avoiding the cliches that are rife in railroad studies. A rewarding book for the railroad enthusist looking for something beyond picture books. Holds up well with the work of Middleton (which is high praise).