{"product_id":"the-last-spike-pierre-berton-9780385658416","title":"The Last Spike: The Great Railway, 1881-1885","description":"In the four years between 1881 and 1885, Canada was forged into one nation by the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. \u003ci\u003eThe Last Spike\u003c\/i\u003e reconstructs the incredible story of how some 2,000 miles of steel crossed the continent in just five years -- exactly half the time stipulated in the contract. Pierre Berton recreates the adventures that were part of this vast undertaking: the railway on the brink of bankruptcy, with one hour between it and ruin; the extraordinary land boom of Winnipeg in 1881-1882; and the epic tale of how William Van Horne rushed 3,000 soldiers over a half-finished railway to quell the Riel Rebellion. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDominating the whole saga are the men who made it all possible -- a host of astonishing characters: Van Horne, the powerhouse behind the vision of a transcontinental railroad; Rogers, the eccentric surveyor; Onderdonk, the cool New Yorker; Stephen, the most emotional of businessmen; Father Lacombe, the black-robed voyageur; Sam Steele, of the North West Mounted Police; Gabriel Dumont, the Prince of the Prairies; more than 7,000 Chinese workers, toiling and dying in the canyons of the Fraser Valley; and many more -- land sharks, construction geniuses, politicians, and entrepreneurs -- all of whom played a role in the founding of the new Canada west of Ontario.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Pierre Berton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0385658419\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780385658416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Anchor Canada\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/14\/2001\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 496\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.17lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.02h x 6.14w x 1.23d","brand":"Pierre Berton","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44043910906111,"sku":"9780385658416","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_dd442e45-5d8c-4c6f-83ed-4588dd0e51f0.jpg?v=1684969835","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-last-spike-pierre-berton-9780385658416","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}