The age of the railway by Harold James Perkin - 1973

New York: Drake, 1973. 351 pp, 8vo (8" H). B&w plates, 2 maps. "The first construction and widespread use of the railroads was the most spectacular aspect of the Industrial Revolution. The first railways not only drastically changed the economic life of entire nations, but also had a profound impact on the life of virtually everyone, young or old, rich or poor. The railroads helped to break down old class barriers and established new ones that have remained to this day. They radically altered the pattern of leisure in working class life, as well as the lives of the middle and even upper classes. The railroads made possible the growth of vast suburban areas around towns and cities, and ushered in the commuter age. In many ways, the railroads were among the chief factors forming the social structures of today's industrially advanced nations. This book by a distinguished social historian narrates the epic of the great age of the railway and authoritatively asesses its contemporary… Read More