The Boomer: A Story of the Rails - Softcover

Bedwell, Harry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0816649065 ISBN 13: 9780816649068

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press, 2006

Synopsis

Eddie Sand is railroading with a capital R. A "boomer," Eddie travels the country making a living as a telegraph operator wherever he finds himself. Never content to sit behind a desk or undertake "the upkeep of a blonde," Eddie's courage, restlessness, and cunning lead him to high adventure. Harry Bedwell's The Boomer portrays an elite fraternity of railroad men―men who were driven by one of the defining elements of the American character: a desire to wander. They were the glamour and glory of railroading, and no one was better equipped to tell their story than Bedwell. He reveals the behind-the-scenes battles that were fought to keep the trains running. This edition also includes a glossary of railroad slang and a bibliography of Bedwell's work. Originally published in 1942, Harry Bedwell's The Boomer is widely considered the best railroad novel ever written. "An exciting yarn in sinewy prose . . . it has almost everything except sound effects." ― New York Herald Tribune Harry Bedwell (1888–1955) is the author of more than sixty short stories. The Boomer is his only novel. James D. Porterfield is the author of several books, including From the Dining Car: The Recipes and Stories behind Today's Greatest Rail Dining Experiences.

About this title

About the Author

James D. Porterfield is a devotee of railroad history and a gourmet cook. He sorted through 7,500 authentic railroad recipes while preparing "Dining By Rail." He lives and teaches in State College, Pennsylvania.

Synopsis

Questions constructions of identity and blackness in modern literature.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0816649065
• ISBN 13: 9780816649068
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352