Rival Rails
The Race to Build America's Greatest Transcontinental Railroad
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Narrated by:
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Norman Dietz
About this listen
The driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit, which marked the completion of the country's first transcontinental railroad, was only the beginning of the race for railroad dominance. In the aftermath of this building feat, dozens of railroads, each with aggressive empire builders at their helms, raced one another for the ultimate prize of a southern transcontinental route that was generally free of snow, shorter in distance, and gentler in gradients.
More than just a means of transportation, the railroads were a powerful mold, and the presence of a rail line had the power to make - or break - the fledgling towns and cities across the newborn American West. While much has been written about the building of the first transcontinental railroad, the bulk of the history of the railroads in the United States has been largely ignored. With a meticulous, loving eye, Walter Borneman picks up where most other histories leave off.
©2010 Walter R. Borneman (P)2010 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 164
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Story5 out of 5 stars 164
From launchpad explosions to a pernicious cricket infestation to the demanding management style of Musk himself, the rise of SpaceX was beset with challenges and far from inevitable. Find out how the startup beat the odds and flew high enough to outpace their rivals... and where they're going next.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Appreciated the engineering details
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By: Eric Berger
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Cosmic Queries
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- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lauren Fortgang
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 892
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 760
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 753
In this illuminating audiobook, Tyson and coauthor James Trefil, a renowned physicist and science popularizer, take on the big questions that humanity has been posing for millennia - How did life begin? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? - and provide answers based on the most current data, observations, and theories.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Not worth it
- By Daniel Earl on 03-15-21
By: James Trefil, and others
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Ranger Confidential
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,284
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,148
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,145
The real stories behind the scenery of America’s national parks. For 12 years, Andrea Lankford lived in the biggest, most impressive national parks in the world, working a job she loved. She chaperoned baby sea turtles on their journey to sea. She pursued bad guys on her galloping patrol horse. She jumped into rescue helicopters bound for the heart of the Grand Canyon. She won arguments with bears. She slept with a few too many rattlesnakes. Hell yeah, it was the best job in the world! Fortunately, Andrea survived it.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Depressing from Cover to Cover
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The Blind Watchmaker
- Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
- By: Richard Dawkins
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- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,816
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,437
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,408
The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Challenging textbook more than an enjoyable listen
- By Eric on 01-15-12
By: Richard Dawkins
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What listeners say about Rival Rails
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Chris
- 06-19-15
Reads like a train schedule
I'm certainly one who is interested in the evolution of trains throughout the west, The reader as well as the content reads like a train schedule with a litany of schedules, cities, and railroad companies. I'm a fan of Boreman's other works, but this one does not live up to the others.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Book Wranglers
- 06-19-18
Detail Heavy
Good information, but uses far too many names and facts to keep the tale flowing... well researched, just not a good story unless you already know the names.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Reader
- 12-29-14
Ok
Would you try another book from Walter R. Borneman and/or Norman Dietz?
No
What was most disappointing about Walter R. Borneman’s story?
There was too much detail that was not directly related. The book is more the story of the Santa Fe than anything else
Would you listen to another book narrated by Norman Dietz?
No
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Boredom
Any additional comments?
No
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