Blood, Iron and Gold

by Christian Wolmar

The opening of the world's first railroad in Britain and America in 1830 marked the dawn of a new age. Within the course of a decade, tracks were being laid as far afield as Australia and Cuba, and by the outbreak of World War I, the United States alone boasted over a quarter of a million miles. With unrelenting determination, architectural innovation, and under gruesome labor conditions, a global railroad network was built that forever changed the way people lived. From Panama to Punjab, from Tasmania to Turin, Christian Wolmar shows how cultures were enriched, and destroyed, by one of the greatest global transport revolutions of our time, and celebrates the visionaries and laborers responsible for its creation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel, Trains, Railways, Transport, Technology

400 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

Christian Wolmar is a journalist, focusing on the history and politics of railways.

Reviews

[Lauren Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would not have expected to be fascinated with the idea of rail gauges but I was. I certainly never knew how central they were to both the history of the railways and the history of the modern world. Only one example is necessary--The Tsar decided to use a non-standard gauge for the Russian railway, fearing the ability of enemies to use the rails to invade. This very fact made transport very difficult for the invading Nazis during World War II...

Trains are made to fit the track (and vice versa). So, if a country is not consistent in its choice of gauges, easy travel over the country's territory is made difficult--passengers having to change trains when they reach a different line. The same is true (as Russia proved) of international travel.

I think his discussion of nationalization is very important. He believes, as did historian Tony Judt (see his essays on the railroad), that government support is absolutely necessary since rails are generally unprofitable--especially when they are forced to service less populated or poorer areas.

Some might find it dry but I found it very interesting.

I don't have my quotes here with me but I will post some later.

[Mikko Karvonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian Wolmar's Blood, Iron and Gold examines the history of the railways (or railroads, depending on which side of the Atlantic you are) from the perspective of their social and economical impact. It reviews the spread of the railways, the challenges of building them, the way they were accepted and incorporated to different societies, and how they inevitably transformed them. There is no need to fear running into anything technical or engineering-like here: the focus is on the people and society, and the technical details are omitted to the extend that in few occasions I actually wished that I could have learned bit more about them.

Wolmar's writing is generally enjoyable - even if it at times feels slightly rushed. He speaks with an authoritative and enthusiastic voice, his sentences flow smoothly, and he spices up the text with a generous amount of colourful anecdotes. The result is an interesting and informative story of the engineering feat that has formed and affected our society more than anything, except perhaps movable type and electricity.

If one would want to point out one weakness in the book, it would most likely be that it in a way misses its mark slightly. In the effort of making the book as readable and approachable as possible, Wolmar in many cases stays on a rather general and undetailed level when speaking about the effects of railways on the society. He speaks of the subject often, but the approach is mostly anecdotal, and lacking in concrete evidence and examples.

This short-coming means that Blood, Iron and Gold is not suited to be a scholarly textbook on the subject. However, it offers an extensive list of books for further reading, effectively pointing anyone interested to the sources of more information. For anyone looking for a well-written and easily digested overview of the subject, Wolmar's offering is a good choice.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a broad history of railroads around the world. The author, Christian Wolmar, a noted British railroad enthusiast and historian, undertakes a worldwide history of railroads. He covers the iron rails from their initial development to the widespread building spree in the late 19th century, continuing the narrative through rail’s pre-WWI golden age and onto its slow demise, finally, he outlines an ongoing resurgence due to technology and new markets. This is an international look, not just the usual European and North American focus. As such, the writing is fast paced and the topic very broad. But Wolmar does a good job of concentrating the story across topical areas, using a single line or company as a case-in-point, with explanations of outliers. He does not get bogged down in trivial side stories (which so often hurts these specific histories). I especially appreciated Wolmar’s ability to pull the story back to the main items which have influenced railroads from the beginning: their gauge, their method of finance, and their place in the economy they served. The discussions on gauge were most fascinating. Wolmar gives a very understandable explanation of why different gauges are chosen, and never hesitates to mention when a gauge choice ends up helping or hurting the railroad line. My appreciation for the engineering feats of the railroad engineers were multiplied by the book. Wolmar takes the time to explain the physical or environmental challenges faced and how they were overcome. Wolmar ends the book by providing an overview of new technologies and current projects, which apparently beckons a resurgence in rail for both passenger and cargo uses in those countries making the investment. My only criticism lies in Wolmar’s sometimes too-deep introduction of major characters in the story. Though interesting, the fast pace of the work only served to bulldoze over these figures after their introduction. Highly recommended for those wanting to better understand the role railroads played in the worldwide economic expansion over the past 200 years.

[Martin Empson · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Wolmar mentions on a number of occasions (far more than many other writers might) the role of workers in building the railways and keeping them running, he occasionally mentions their strikes too. But I think he underplays the significant role that the railways have played in working class struggle precisely because they are a central feature of industrial capitalism and bring together large numbers of organised workers. The railways helped keep all sides fighting in World War One. But they also spread the Russian and German revolutions around those countries. The strikes of railway workers from South America to Asia have often provided a catalyst to wider social struggles - consider the novel Gods Bits of Wood for inspiration here. Wolmar's books are always interesting, and he is on the right side of the struggle for better, more environmentally friendly public transport. But sadly this book bites off far more than it can chew and feels inadequate.

Full review: http://resolutereader.blogspot.co.uk/...

[Tamara]

Not too in depth and often really clunkily written, but it makes up for it by being, well, not too in depth and rabidly enthusiastic about the subject. Much use of the delighted exclamation mark. ("Maybe soon there will be no more cars!") Wolmar also pays a lot of attention to the experience of being a railway traveller throughout history - times, conditions, classes, stations, food, etc. It's unusual and much appreciated.

[Dropbear123 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 rounding down for Goodreads.

Mainly about the building of various railways around the world with quite a lot of detail. Not too focused on the technology which I liked. The global perspective is done well. My main problem with it leading to only being 3.5/5 is the "how railways transformed the world" in the title. There wasn't enough of that, most of the book being how x company built y railway facing z difficulties - some people might be interested in that but I wasn't. When the book does discuss the impact of the railways, political, economic, social etc, it is good but I wanted more of it. In particular the WWI section and to a lesser extent the WWII sections were pretty good, the highlight of the book for me.

[Geoffrey Ringlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the histories of railways across the world. More organized around theme and era rather than country or region. Relaxing and easily digestable, with informative portions on less discussed topics and the railroads affects, for example on Africa, Australia, etc.

[David Thornber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not about transformation, more a short history of railway projects.

[Anna Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

** 2 - 3 stars **

I approached this book with high expectations but ultimately found it disappointing. While the author’s ambition to provide a comprehensive overview of the development of railways worldwide is commendable, the execution falls short.
The first 214 pages of the book are primarily an overwhelming succession of paragraphs recounting how various railways were built – when they were initiated, who was responsible, which towns they passed through, and what delays, costs, or problems were incurred. Although the sheer volume of information is commendable, the book lacks the essential elements needed to appeal to any particular audience. It does not include the detailed and qualified data or thorough indexing required to make it a valuable reference work; at the same time, it lacks the engaging personal stories or compelling narrative style that might make it enjoyable as a leisure read. Moreover, it does not provide sufficient technical detail to appeal to true train enthusiasts. For example, there isn’t any meaningful exploration of the mechanics of railway construction or true insight into the engineering challenges involved. This omission contributes to a sense that all the railways described blur together into an indistinct whole.
Whilst the non-written components for this part were conceptually a good idea, I felt they were misplaced and poorly implemented. Captioning the images with explicit references to certain points in the text would have helped contextualize them. Likewise, the maps were not integrated with the relevant text, making it difficult to connect them to the descriptions of specific lines or locations. Placing these maps alongside the corresponding text and ensuring the labels matched the locations mentioned would have greatly improved their utility. Overall, I believe this preliminary content would have been far more effective as an encyclopaedic guide, with each railway or train line receiving a dedicated spread. Such a format could include a clear map, a timeline, and a well-structured history of each line, making it both more informative and engaging.
These criticisms primarily apply to the first 214 pages of the book. However, the final 115 pages or so show a notable improvement. This part fulfils the promise given in the blurb, focusing more on the impact of the railway revolution and the benefits it brought to nations worldwide. Thanks to its relative brevity and the inclusion of more personal details, the text is less of a never-ending ‘information dump’, making it a more entertaining read. Its content is also accessible to a much wider, more general audience than the preceding part! That said, this section still could have benefited from more frequent referencing and another run of copy-editing.
In my opinion, the book would have been much better if the first 214 pages were condensed, allowing more time to explore the second section. Perhaps a few particular railways could have been examined in depth, looking first at their construction and then their impact. This approach would help tie the two parts of the book together and provide a focus for the reader.
Overall, while the book demonstrates the author’s ambition and dedication, it is let down by its structure, focus and writing style. When taken as a whole, it falls short of being either a useful reference for research purposes or an enjoyable read for a more general audience.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Railways is one of the most transforming technologies in modern human history (some others being the printing press, steam engines and the electrical telegraph), so I would expect there to be a lot of books written about the railway's social and economical impact on societies. For some reason there isn't though (as written in the bibliography section of the book) and that serves, writes Wolmar, as one of the reasons for writing this book. I commend author for making the effort and it puts the book in the four star category for me.

The book covers a lot which is both its weakness and strength. It covers the first innovators, the first laid railroads, the cost for building the railways (in terms of both men and money), the big transcontinental projects, the economics of transporting goods and people and the changes it brought to cities and society at large, changes in comfort for passengers, the military uses of the railroads for both suppressing uprisings and transporting troops and materials during the two world wars, the decline of the railroads after the second world war and the renaissance following the first high speed rails in Japan and the looming threat of global warming. It is a lot for one book.

I was mostly interested in the economic impact and inevitable those sections of the book felt short to me. Cronon's Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West covers the subject I'm interested better, even though it is about the economic development of Chicago during the 19th century the railway (and telegraph) is integral part of that transformation. Still Wolmar gives some insight to how life was changed after railways spread out. For example how cows disappeared from cities (at least London and New York) because it became possible for farmers to send milk to cities on freight trains. Or how local or regional crop failures didn't necessarily mean famines as crops could be transported over long distances by trains. It also of course led to an increase in international trade which led to further specialization of professions. Certain wines managed to rise to prominence as they could be transported and sold much farther away. Or how local times in USA were replaced with a national system for time keeping so the time tables for trains would make sense. Or how it was instrumental in the development of mass tourism. While there are more examples in the book I would have liked to see even more and a deeper dive into the examples given.

I didn't mind the subjects covered which I wasn't particularly interested in, but I can imagine readers interested in those subjects wanting a bit more.

In conclusion a good a readable overview of the impact of the railways on society. I hope Wolmar succeeds in his professed aim to inspire academics and railway writers to fill the large gaps still remaing on the subject.

[Daniel Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like trains....
Yes. Trains are the superior transport on land. More efficient than cars, faster than buses and less polluting than lorries. Of course, you don't have to take my word for it. The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis found that the Japanese bullet train system was three times more productive than planes, five times the capital efficiency on investment and eight times more efficient in energy consumed.

Blood Iron and Gold by Christian Wolmar is a book on railways and their impact on society and nations at large. From Stevenson's rocket to the Shinkansen in Japan, Blood, Iron and Gold attempts to chart the development of railways. Whether it be German reunification and economic development, French nation building, British imperialist projects in India, Blood Iron and Gold makes the analysis of how railways developed across the world.

What is really insightful from the book is the political-economy of railways in each nation. The Anglo-American approach was lassiez faire capitalism, whilst Europe particularly Germany adopted a state directed railway development. Germany had large state railway lines, with major stations of the "hauptbahnhof" being focal points in towns and cities, whilst France had a state directed railway building and privately owned railways. This difference in politics of railways can be seen in the 20th century as when railways declined in the capitalist West, the Communist countries had major railway systems that were the backbone of their societies.

Blood, Iron and Gold shows the dichotomy of railways across the world as being nation building and economy driving on the one hand and on the other hand, the railway was a destroyer of indigenous customs and father of industrialised war. Indeed, as mentioned by Christian Wolmar, the destructiveness of the World Wars would not have been possible. Railways and wars go hand in hand. The railway story in New Zealand, a story I have never even heard about before this book was an interesting tale of nation building juxtaposed with the end of indigenous culture on the other.

I think what this book really gets is how revolutionary railways were to certain countries. Sure, in the UK, there were turnpike roads and canals. Europe and the US had a hodgepodge of canals and turnpikes. But railways in Brazil were completely revolutionary in transport as they practically had no other land transport to begin with. Railways allowed the globalisation of world commodities decades before the internet.

The book is reasonably well researched with endnotes and a bibliography. Plus the details between countries are an important interest. Whether the development of the Argentine rail system that ended trunkroads, or the Russian TransSiberian railway that was a project on par with the pyramids, Blood, Iron and Gold is an insightful book on railway development. Highly recommend for train-lovers and history buffs alike.

[Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the 1999 Internet Bubble it seemed every learned article was trumpeting that "The Internet Changed the World" and that it's a "New Economy". Fortunately for me, I stumbled across Jim Rogers' Adventure Capitalist where he pointed out:

Canals changed the world
Railroads changed the world
Automobiles changed the world
Radio changed the world
Television changed the world

I spent over a decade occasionally wondering "exactly how did railroads change the world?" but I hadn't come across a book that focused on it. Blood, Iron and Gold nicely summarized the available information, though the title Blood, Iron and Gauge might have been more accurate...

Railroads created and unified nations (e.g. Canada, Australia, Germany, Russia, Italy)
Railroads opened vast areas to settlement (Argentina, USA)
Railroads made huge metropolitan areas possible via transportation of people, food, materials;
Railroads changed the diet, increasing the availability of fresh food, making fruits and vegetables and milk available in urban areas, and moved urban cow heards out of New York basements;
Railroads decreased the incidents of famine and supported vast increases in population;
Railroads were among the first large modern enterprise, these lessons of financing and management were adapted by other organizations;
Railroads were among the first large scale customers for steel and coal, fueling the growth of these industries;
Railroads were a tool for the military and the state, enabling the rapid transport of troops and as a tool to quickly put down riots.
Railroads even pioneered time... America had hundreds of timezones in the 1800's, but finalized on 4 continental timezones to make nation wide railway timetables possible.

The first railway in the world was between Liverpool and Manchester and opened with a lot of fanfare, many people were at the opening with the intention of learning how to do the same in their countries.

Many countries copied the 4ft 8 1/2 in gauge Britain ("standard gauge"), yet smaller branch "narrow gauge" lines were used for slower, less trafficked routes. Sometimes other slightly different gauges were selected for strategic regions, such as the Russian desire to ensure continental trains couldn't be used in an invasion on Russian track. This was attempted and the Russian calculation turned out prescient. Ireland chose a slightly wider than standard gauge that made for more comfortable train interiors. The United Kingdom's position as a pioneer allowed it to wield an incredible amount of influence over the development of rails across the world, exporting engines, cars, drivers, planners, and even gauge standards for many regions.

The British and the Americans opted for private financed railway systems. These systems didn't upset constituents since land would rarely be claimed for imminent domain. Unfortunately, the British and American systems created much duplication, did not provide for easy connection (one town may have two stations operated by different companies, and you needed to arrange for your own transportation miles across town) and most importantly, the British and American systems have not stood the test of time. The European Continental and East Asian train systems are state operated and excellent to travel on, while the US and UK systems have been decaying for decades.

The first transcontinental railroad in the world was the tiny Panama Railway adjacent to what later site of the Panama Canal. The railway was started just before gold was discovered in California and carried passengers for a portion of the journey even before the railroad was complete. In spite of it's high construction costs, this ended up being on of the most profitable railroad investments in the world.

Canada constructed 3 separate transcontinental railways, the 1st was the Canada Pacific Railway from Montreal to Vancouver across southern Canada, establishing Canadian claim to the remaining parts of British North America not yet constituted as provinces and territories of Canada, acting as a bulwark against potential incursions by the United States. Subsequently, two other transcontinental lines were built in Canada: the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) opened another line to the Pacific in 1912, and the combined Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR)/National Transcontinental Railway (NTR) system opened in 1917.

The Russian Trans-Siberian railway connecting Moscow with Vladivostok was completed in 1905, still under the Czar. The BAM (Baikal–Amur Mainline) is a wide gauge railway that runs about 610 to 770 km (380 to 480 miles) north of and parallel to the Trans-Siberian railway. The BAM was built as a strategic alternative route to the Trans-Siberian Railway, especially along the vulnerable sections close to the border with China. The BAM's costs were estimated at $14 billion, and it was built with special, durable tracks since much of it was built over permafrost. Due to the severe terrain, weather, length and cost Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev described BAM as "the construction project of the century, it was completed in September 1984.

There was an attempted transcontinental railway envisioned in Africa called the Cape to Cairo but in spite of many stops and starts, this railway was never completed.

In wealthier countries, really just Europe at that time, extensive tunnels were dug since railways needed to connect existing population centers via the most direct route possible. By contrast, poorer regions tended to build long sets of switchback tracks up steep mountain inclines, especially in India and South America. Perhaps like China today, America of the 1800's was somewhere in between the poverty of India and South America, but not nearly the wealth of Europe. Americas own system ended up as more of a hybrid of the two. Since American trains covered vast distances, American locomotives were bigger and more powerful, eventually achieving some renown around the world.

Some related books I saw other reviewers mention but that I have not read yet include:
* Fire and Steam: A New History of the Railways in Britain, same author as this
* Nothing Like it in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-69
* Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America and How We Can Take It Back

[Ruppert Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

One part railfan press and one part world history, Wolmar weaves an powerful message in "Blood, Iron & Gold." Railways are the single greatest reason for the prosperity and wealth that we see in the world today. And while he can be a bit whimsical, especially in the last chapter, he does spell out a persuasive argument.

Nevertheless, there are a few unanswered questions and some minor errors. While he delves rather well into the reasons for wide gauge railways, he almost wholly skips the reasoning for the 'narrow gauge boom' of the late 1800's. And his contention that the South Carolina Canal & Railroad Company built "from Charleston to Hamburg, just across the Chattahoochee river from...Atlanta" is clearly incorrect (Savannah River across from Augusta). But these are minor issues in a book that covers a lot of ground in a minimal amount of pages.

After nearly 60 years of being a railfan and reading massive amounts of rail history through books and magazines, this book was an interesting and unique change that I honestly did not anticipate. If you want to know HOW we have become the modern, worldwide society the the planet is today, read this book.

[Niko Aslak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kunnianhimoinen tavoite tällä kirjalla: mahduttaa maailman rautateiden ja niiden yhteiskunnallisten, kulttuuristen ja poliittisten vaikutusten historia 330 sivuun. Wolmar onnistuu kuitenkin tarjoamaan kaikki mantereet kattavan tiiviin yleisesityksen, jossa on amatöörille paikoitellen vähän raskaasti teknistä termistöä, mutta myös eläviä kuvauksia junamatkailun konkreettisesta todellisuudesta eri paikoissa ja eri aikoina, samoin kuin heroois-traagillisia kertomuksia varhaisten rautateiden rakennustöistä, joissa tuli ruumiita armotonta tahtia. Oikeastaan parasta kirjassa on tekijän vilpitön innostus rautatieaatteeseen, mikä huipentuu upean hehkuttavaan loppulukuun.

[Nicholas Russon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good overview of the impact of rail technology on world economic development, although it's more accurate on European railways because it's mostly looking at railway passenger history. In North America, with few exceptions, passenger traffic was only a minor adjunct to freight operations and had to be required by various governments in exchange for charters, land grants, concessions, etc. In Europe and elsewhere in the world, passenger trains were seen as the primary reason for railway operations except in purely industrial or mining applications where the railway didn't serve significant populations along the line.

[Soubresaut · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gricer’s survey of global railway construction up to 2009 (so excluding the contentious £100billion HS2 project in England) with a bit tacked on about how the railways affected the way people lived, worked and fought without much weight given to other contributory factors. Apparently gleaned from more focused books it’s an easy enough read although somewhat repetitive and the author’s claim in the first edition that before railways Plymouth time was 20 minutes earlier than London time is the wrong way round.

[James Isbill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides a good overview of the proliferation of the railways around the world, with a focus on the nineteenth century.

I thought the strongest chapters of this book centred on the role of the railways in warfare. I had not anticipated the central role that railways played in transforming warfare from the Napoleonic era to the total war doctrine of the twentieth century.

The weakest chapters of this books were the early chapters discussing the spread of railways across different countries. This read quite samey and mundane.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

What are known as "rail ties" in the United States are called "Sleepers" in commonwealth countries. A fact that once caused me some confusion when I was interviewing a Ghanaian railroad official. This book doesn't explain why the difference in terms. However, almost everything else one could want to know about the global history of railroads can be found here. I think the sections on the Panama railroad and the fact that the Shinkansen was planned even before World War II were two interesting facts or sections I will carry with me.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice overview of how railroads crossed the world and Wolmar did a nice job of demonstrating how much of life that changed: where we work, where we live, the concept of being able to take a vacation/holiday; pretty incredible stuff. I would have liked more about its use and function in colonialism and theft of raw materials; it's in there and not necessarily his mandate, but would have been nice. Still, if you need one book to know how the iron road changed the world, I'm convinced this could be it.

[Theo Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly enjoyable read about, mainly, the early years of the railway by someone who plainly has a deep love of their subject. Would have enjoyed a longer overview of certain world regions covered, and there is inevitably important things missed due to the breadth of subject; but overall, would certainly recommend.

[Artie LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gallop through the history of railways ... but much more than that. For once, the subsidiary title (How the Railways Transformed the World) is not hyperbole, but a fair description.

It needs to be read over a number of weeks, as otherwise the sheer amount of information is overwhelming.

The maps in this edition are woefully inadequate.

[Nick Harriss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fascinating book by Wolmar (the best Mayor that London never had - someone who actually understands public transport) on the development of railways. The only criticism is that it is necessarily restricted in terms of depth of content. I hope he writes a follow on edition.

[Ryan Manganiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I especially liked reading about how tough people had it only just 100 years ago, which really put how we live today into perspective, and now I will definitely not complain as much when I have to do a little hard work, when their work back then was excruciating and downright deadly.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent gauge to read in the middle of the night - but sentences were consistently too long and should have probably called out colonialism a lot more.

three feet gauges...is that big or small or standard?...i cant remember out of five

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eminently readable survey history of global railroad development.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you love the history of railways,this is the book for you.

[Skord · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as any single volume can be this one is comprehensive. An essential start for the subject which avoids the usual exclusive anglocentrism of most railway histories.

[Damien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good overview of the history of trains both in England and the US.

[Robert Pozil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book that tells the story of how the railroad system changed the way we live and opened up new regions for commerce and development. Truly enjoyed this book... and learned a lot!

[Iain Bulpett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here is a work for the railway enthusiast or reference shelf.