Nothing Like It in the World

The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869

De: Stephen E. Ambrose

Narrado por: Jeffrey DeMunn

Nothing Like It in the World is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise comes to life. The U.S. government pitted two companies - the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads - against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. As its peak the work force approached the size of Civil War armies, with as many as 15,000 workers on each line. The surveyors, the men who picked the route, lived off buffalo, deer, and antelope.

In building a railroad, there is only one decisive spot - the end of the track. Nothing like this great work had ever been seen in the world when the last spike - a golden one - was driven in Promontory Peak, Utah, in 1869, as the Central Pacific and Union Pacific tracks were joined.

Ambrose writes with power and eloquence about the brave men - the famous and the unheralded, ordinary men doing the extraordinary - who accomplished the spectacular feat that made the continent into a nation.

©2000 Stephen E. Ambrose (P)2000 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"... telling of the railroad's physical construction will be a sure winner with the author's legions of readers." ( Booklist)

"... bears the reader on shoulders of wonder and excitement." ( The New York Times)

Private Enterprise wins again!

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

How much the completion of this railroad was at the hands of the Chinese. They worked very hard, did the jobs nobody else did, and found respect. They earned it not only from their labor, but how they managed themselves and their camps. They ate healthy foods, were not drunks like the others, and did their work. Great examples to us all!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The harsh treatment of the Chinese and how they handled themselves; who in return earned the respect of everyone else by the examples they lived.

You'd be hard-pressed to invent a better story.

Would you consider the audio edition of Nothing Like It in the World to be better than the print version?

I first read the print version a few years ago and loved it. I have been thinking about the story and got the audible version to hear it again.

What other book might you compare Nothing Like It in the World to and why?

Stephen Ambrose had a knack for telling history in a interesting way. His Undaunted Courage is also one of my favorites. So too Band of Brothers. Blue Yonder not so good.

Have you listened to any of Jeffrey DeMunn’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think I've heard this reader before. It was a good performance but there were times I noticed wrong inflections that didn't coincide with the intended meaning.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Nothing Like It In The World

ChinaMen

The prose of Ambrose is always informative with good summations/outcomes! The work ethic of Chinamen vs Irish very interesting.

Great listening

Balanced and well-researched, it's an enjoyable listen for anyone interested in history, business or politics.

Couldn’t be better

Couldn’t have been better. Attempts have been made to turn this into a tv show but this book is amazing. Well laid out. I like to listen to it before I fall asleep. I find myself playing chapters more than once just because some of the information is so good. The only complaint I have is that the author didn’t write more pre-20th century books. Not really interested in 20th century stories.

Excellent Historical vision

Takes you back in time, when the Men of the Frontier were rough and tough, and endured hardship, the beginning of the industrialized World as we know it, beautifully narrated by Jeffery DeMunn, one of my most favorite Narrators, what a Grand story and tale of how it used to be.

Fascinating story marred by ignorant reader

Extraordinary tale of the creation of the trans-continental railroad. Fascinating characters populate Stephen Ambrose’s telling of the epic endeavor. Very entertaining and informative. The reader, however, seems like an ignorant idiot, mispronouncing words like placer and Placerville and Oregon and several others. Inexcusable, really, and frequently disconcerting. The story, however, is worthwhile and interesting. Just prepare to be bewildered by the reader’s absurd lack of vocabulary and knowledge.

Excellent

Superb history. Entertaining. Well written.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys studying history — American and World.

Excellent 5 Star Story Poor Digital Presentation

Ambrose is / was one of our preeminent story tellers. Audible should be ashamed for how they present the story. Narration ending abruptly at the end of a so-called chapter with an overly long break before next section. It's like they took the CD edition and simply made each disc a chapter. How difficult can it be in this digital age to present the book as written?

a MUST read

loved it. a must read for those who are history buffs And everyone else. it might well inspire others toward history.