A Century of Subways: Celebrating 100 Years of New Yorks Underground Railways

 

A Century of Subways: Celebrating 100 Years of New Yorks Underground Railways
A Century of Subways: Celebrating 100 Years of New Yorks Underground Railways
by Authors: Brian J. Cudahy
Released: October, 2003
ISBN: 0823222926
Hardcover

Sales Rank: 60,060
List price: $30.00
Our price: $21.00 (You save: $9)
Book > A Century of Subways: Celebrating 100 Years of New Yorks Underground Railways > Customer Reviews:
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A Century of Subways: Celebrating 100 Years of New Yorks Underground Railways > Customer Review #1:
An aptly and extensively researched tribute

An impressively informative work by transportation historian Brian J. Cudahy, A Century Of Subways: Celebrating 100 Years Of New Yorks Underground Railways tells of the amazing and critically important history of subway systems as a remarkable technological achievement in mass transportation which legendary for its practicality. A grand presentation that takes the reader and subway enthusiast on a vivid trip through time as an aptly and extensively researched tribute to the visionaries and power brokers behind the creation of New Yorks famous subways, A Century Of Subways would grace the American History and Transportation History collections of any academic or community library system.

A Century of Subways: Celebrating 100 Years of New Yorks Underground Railways > Customer Review #2:
Misnamed!

Cudahy does a great job detailing the development and progression of the New York City subway system, but his focus is much more on providing the necessary details almost in reference book form than in trying to construct any sort of compelling narrative. Conspiculously absent is any portrait of the key figures involved, or the social forces at work as the subway system was born and then rapidly expanded. The entire history of the New York system, in fact, is covered in the first seventy pages. While keeping the critical details about subway car specifications and the like, it would have done Cudahy well to provide much more gloss to these facts rather than occupying so many pages with discussions of the rail systems in London, Boston, and the New York suburbs. Other books on the specific subject in Cudahys title do a much better job of painting the complete picture and might be better suited for the casual reader interested in a focused but complete history of the New York City subway system.

A Century of Subways: Celebrating 100 Years of New Yorks Underground Railways > Customer Review #3:
Who better than Brian Cudahy?

New Yorks subway system has been written about, painted, painted on, talked about, griped about, even sung about. (Dont sleep on the subway, darling...) There are a fair number of books about it, most of them are technical. And the technical achievements of the subways system are amazing.

But only Brian Cudahy can write with the excitement and enthusiasm for this complex transit system to bring its history and experience to life. The word "Celebrating" in the subtitle is more indicative of his attitude than the bland "A Century of Subways." He starts with the asphyxiating conditions of Manhattans streets immediately before 1900, and the need of developers, businessmen, and employers alike to expand into the other boroughs. This system, once built, would ease the overcrowding of Manhattans slums, provide capital for real estate and housing barons in Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and northernmost Manhattan, and turn places like Coney Island into true party spots.

Of course, skeptics did abound: "New Yorkers will never go into a hole in the ground." And this is where Brian Cudahy then delivers to us the fanfare, thrills and--efficiency (!)--of the first subway ride, as bystanders cheered from clean, beautiful (!!) subway stations. At the center of it all is August Belmont, and the admiration Cudahy has for him is evident. Yet he doesnt resort to worshipping the tycoon/developer.

A CENTURY OF SUBWAYS is a fun and educational book. Its tone is miles away from his sober, but equally fascinating book, THE MALBONE STREET WRECK. While this disaster was waiting to happen in 1918, Cudahy, in A CENTURY OF SUBWAYS, savors the joyful moments of 1904.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of THE FIVE POINTS CONCLUDED



 
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