Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780763665272)

Experience the race of rails to link the country--and meet the men behind this incredible feat--in a riveting story about the building of the transcontinental railroad, brought to life with archival photos.

In the 1850s, gold fever swept the West, but people had to walk, sail, or ride horses for months on end to seek their fortune. The question of faster, safer transportation was posed by national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? It seemed impossible. Eventually, two railroad companies, the Central Pacific, which laid the tracks eastward, and the Union Pacific, which moved west, began the job. In one great race between iron men with iron wills, tens of thousands of workers blasted the longest tunnels that had ever been constructed, built the highest bridges that had ever been created, and finally linked the nation by two bands of steel, changing America forever.

Author: Martin W. Sandler
ISBN-10: 0763665274
ISBN-13: 9780763665272
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Language: English
Published: 09/08/2015
Pages: 224
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 2.55lbs
Size: 9.40h x 11.00w x 0.90d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 8.5
Point Value: 7
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 176183 / Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2015
School Library Journal 08/01/2015 pg. 129
Booklist 09/01/2015 pg. 92
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2015 pg. 106
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2016 - Superior,Well Above Average