To the Edge of the World: The Story of the World's Greatest Railway: The Story of the Trans-Siberian Railway - Hardcover

Christian Wolmar

3.84

396 ratings by Goodreads

9780857890375: To the Edge of the World: The Story of the World's Greatest Railway: The Story of the Trans-Siberian Railway

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0857890379 ISBN 13: 9780857890375

Publisher: Atlantic Books, 2013

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

It is the world's longest railway line. But it is so much more than that, too. The Trans-Siberian stretches nearly 6,000 miles between Moscow and Vladivostok on the Pacific Coast and was the most ambitious railway project in the nineteenth century. A journey on the railway evokes a romantic roam through the Russian steppes, but also reminds travellers of the vastness of our world and hints at the hardships that were endured in its construction. Christian Wolmar expertly tells the story of the Trans-Siberian railway from its conception and construction under Tsar Alexander III, to the northern extension ordered by Brezhnev and its current success as a vital artery. He also explores the crucial role the line played in both the Russian Civil War -Trotsky famously used an armoured carriage as his command post - and the Second World War, during which the railway saved the country from certain defeat. Like the author's previous railway histories, it focuses on the personalities, as well as the political and economic events, that lay behind one of the most extraordinary engineering triumphs of the nineteenth century.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

Fascinating... An excellent examination of one the most extraordinary engineering feats of the 19th century. Source: Daily Express

With characteristic clarity, Wolmar argues that no railway has been so geopolitically important. This may be "a heavy burden for a humble iron road" to carry, but his history makes a convincing case. Author: Andrew Martin Source: Mail on Sunday

Christian Wolmar is Britain's foremost railway historian, with almost a dozen books on railways in Britain and abroad. This is one of his best. Witty, fluent and opinionated, he shows a superb grasp of Russia - its people, history and mindset... Wolmar leaves us in awe of an achievement that has made the Trans-Siberian not only the longest but the greatest railway line ever built. Source: The Times

Does justice to the tale of the world's longest railway... Free of niche anorak jargon, Wolmar's writing is like any self-respecting railway should be: direct, pacey and open to all. Source: Lonely Planet Traveller

From the Author:

Christian Wolmar is Britain's foremost writer and broadcaster on transport matters. He writes regularly for a wide variety of publications including the Independent, Evening Standard and Rail magazine, and appears frequently on TV and radio as a commentator. His previous books include the widely-acclaimed The Subterranean Railway, Fire and Steam, Blood, Iron and Gold, Engines of War and The Great Railway Revolution.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.