Transportation Books

Written from this guys personal experiences. Could use more details/options for the rebuilder and less of his personal gabbing. Otherwise, it's a great book to start with.

If you are rebuilding your chevy motor in stock form, this book is for you. If you plan on modifying your motor to any extent, it is too outdated and its suggestions for machining and assembly do not apply.

I have used this book in my business for about 10 years. It is used both as a reference and a training aid for my customers. It is indispensible and there is no other book in my extensive library to compare with it. I highly recommend it to both the novice and professional.

After years of reading, and turning wrenches I think this is the best so far.
Not only for readability (is this English?) but also specifications.
This book tells you When to pull the engine and Why.
Then tons of specific data will be given and even more important how and
where to measure!!
If you ever go in this kind of stuff, rebuilding your engine, this book is a good buy.

BR. Arnoud.

This book has everything you wanted to know about the Chevy Smallblock. It gets kinda wordy, and very technical for someone who just wants to play around. If you are serious about rebuilding the Chevy Smallblock perfectly then get this book

It's become a bit of trivial fodder: In 1972, a plane carrying a Uraguayan rugby team and their friends crashed in the Andes. They survived there for over 70 days, doing whatever was necessary to survive, sustained on their faith, and the hope that they could one day break beyond the prison of the mountains and reach civilization.

Since the story HAS become a piece of trivia, it's important that we read something that makes us understand the underlying humanity of the situation. To that end, Read's book is almost a necessity. It details day-to-day life in the crashed plane, and attempts of the Uraguayan families to find their missing loved ones.

The great thing about "Alive" is that it chronicles the event in a somewhat detached manner. At first, this might seem odd; after all, such a tragic event is an emotionally-charged topic, especially once you get down to the human element. However, to tell the tale with emotion is to get LOST in the tale. To overcome this, read uses a scientific, detached description of events, which ultimately leads the reader to ponder the horrific reality these people went through. It is a very successful storytelling mode, which only hits a few snags (he insists upon calling cannibalism "anthropophagy," and admits in the introduction that some of the survivors felt the book didn't go into enough detail about the friendship they felt for each other). Also, there is the fact that this book dates back to 1974, only two years after the events; it would be nice to know how the survivors faced the rest of their lives.

Still, the book is thorough, and it's dry, almost dead-pan style is the only real way of describing the events that unfolded, without getting lost within the maze of emotions (actually, the dry delivery almost makes things even more horrible; don't read this book if you are squeamish). "Alive" is a tale of horrific events that tested the limits of humanity. It is a must-read for anyone interested in what being human really means.

This is a very interesting book. My wife and I were living in Uruguay when this occured and I recall all the anxiety until they were found. Also, recently, our son was in a conference in California where Nando Parrado, one of the survivors, spoke. Nando has also written a book about the crash and survival.
The book Alive is a bit gruesome at points, but realistic about the guys' survival. There was shown a great deal of determination and desire to live on their part.
In general, very good.

This is the only book I've ever read where I caught myself shielding my eyes so as not to know quite so much about the fine points of cannibalism. I ended up skipping about two pages detailing the butchering of the bodies, which organs are the most nutritious, etc. However, the author was just doing his job and there's only a few pages involving cannibalism.

The plane came down in a snow field at 11,500 feet elevation, higher than the highest mountain in California by comparison. This put them far above the timber line in a frigid place devoid of all life -- not even a fly or a blade of grass. Due to incompetence on the part of search and rescue operations and also a so-called psychic who had the rescuers searching everywhere but the right place, the survivors were presumed dead and left to fend for themselves for 72 days, and would likely have never been found were it not for the daring feats of mountaineering by two of the survivors who went on an arduous 8 day trek out of the mountains and into Chile in search of rescuers.

With no food it was inevitable the group would have to eat the dead if they were survive. As someone explained, your survival instincts and your appetite will not only lead you to eat the dead, but eventually to savor it. Then, when the two expeditionaries finally connected with civilization, a peasant tossed them a crust of bread and their appetite for human flesh evaporated.

As horrifying as it was, there is an upbeat message in this book about the unshakeable will to live, about the utility of human solidarity in the face of death, and the mystical communion between the survivors and their dead comrades who saved their lives by providing the nourishment to survive.

This book has been around a long time. It's a page-turner and millions have read it, especially in South America where this event was known simply as the Andes crash, and the survivors are still celebrated as heroes. Google it if you want and you'll find lots more info, photos, and a Google map reference to the exact spot the wrecked fuselage came to rest.

What would it be like being stranded in the Andes with very little food or water? Well Alive by Piers Paul Read might give you an idea. This emotional, and yet exciting non fiction book accurately depicts the terrible seventy-two days a team of Uruguayan rugby players and their relatives experience. The setting of the book is in the Andes Mountains, Uruguay, Chili, and takes place in 1972. The theme of this book is man's will to survive is more powerful than anything. The main characters of this moderately paced book would be the last sixteen survivors, the two strongest of them being Fernando Parrado and Roberto Canessa, who play a big role in the survival of them all. After being stranded for seventy-two days in the Andes Mountains this small rugby team forms a special bond and learns the true meanings of life. I think this is a very exciting, but gory book and would recommend it to anybody but only if you have a strong stomach because there are many references to dead bodies and eating human flesh. These rugby players show us that with faith and a strong will to survive we can overcome large obstacles.

Once I finally got into the book, this was a good story of survival. The men and women who crashed in the Andes had to overcome horrible situations -- injuries from the crash, an avalanche, and then the lack of food. What they did to survive was admirable, even if some may judge them harshly over their decision to eat the flesh of their dead friends.

That being said, though, the story moves so slowly, and the author's writing style is so staid, that it took me forever to actually feel like I was reading something worthwhile.

A good story, but it's a journey to plod through it.

Book was in New condition as said. Received it before the estimated ship date. Very fast!!

You can either learn turbocharging by doing little research and doing it yourself and making expensive mistakes or you can buy this book for $20 and save yourself the time and money and know the information. Turbocharging a modern higher compression engine requires abundant knowledge of turbo systems, or mistakes can really cost you. Excellent book, geared more towards imports, you really feel comfortable turbocharging just about any car after having read it.

I got this book to learn more than just the basic "what is a turbocharger" and was definitely satisfied. I didn't need it but the book pics you up at the very bottom of the learning curve and takes you over basics into the more meaty stuff and all the way into fairly advanced engineering and formulas. All in an easy to understand format and language, that admittedly has its annoying moments from time to time. Anyway, if you drop out at the formula level, no problem, it's there for those who want to calculate their own best setup. Something that can also be accomplished by calling tech support at the manufacturers and turbo specialty shops where you are going to buy your stuff. I also like that it successfully covers both the import crowd as well as domestic V8 without preference for one or the other. The math and theory is all the same and the book ends on build examples on Hondas, Supras, Mustangs etc. Definitely a 4 star book.

Mr Warner has written a very good, thorough and educational Turbocharging book here.

It is based entirely on facts and is written in a concise, logical order covering all of the topics detailed in the content description. It is also worded very well and moves along at a good pace...you'll enjoy the read.

This is not only a 'this is how a turbo works...this is how to bolt one on.' style book. It far surpasses the C. Bell book detailing turbo theory, ECU fueling and ignition and all of the extra components and theory behind them and how they all affect each other also.

You don't just get 'what' is done, you get 'how' and 'why' as well, taking the blinders off the reader to form their own ideas of how to go about their own turbo system design on any given application.

4/5 Stars only because there are a couple of typos, one where one line of an equation doesn't follow on from the preceding one...

Otherwise, you won't buy a better Turbocharging book at the moment.

Surprisingly, some of readers have found this book useless. Don't believe them. It's the excellent addition to A. Bell's "Forced Induction ..." and much more informative than Corky Bell's "Maximum Boost". Trio "Bell, Bell and Warner" allows you to build by yourself not just operable, but durable and powerful engine which will gladden you on the street. Undoubtedly, this edition is "must have"-grade for everyone in turbo-theme and its price is laughable comparing its knowledge value. Thank you, Mark...

This should be the first grade text book for those who want to graduate from Super Street or some other 'tuner' magazine and actually begin learning something.

The author isn't trying to shove any products down your throat... its just well written and informative.

I've been building turbo cars for years, but still learned a few things from reading this book. I now use this book as the place to send people who ask me too many beginner questions over the internet. I say "Read this, and then come back and ask whatever you haven't figured out yet"

It can't recommend which brand of standalone you should buy, but it explains what one is.

This book is spell binding, excellently written and so full of history that it makes you want to reach out for more info.

A true story for our time and one that needs to be shared. If you want to know more about the Coast Guard and what it's like to be at sea, this is the book to read. I'm having trouble putting it down.

"Sailing into the Abyss" by William R. Benedetto is to the Merchant fleet what the "Perfect Storm" was to the sword-fishing fleet.

The book gives "arm-chair" sailors like me, uncontrollable shakes and chattering teeth even...with a hot cup of coffee in hand! Benedetto's writing abilities plunges the reader directly into the cold sea next to the unfortunate struggling seaman who has just abandoned his sinking ship.

This is the riveting story of the Merchant vessel "S.S. Badger State" that was taking its deadly cargo of bombs and munitions to Da Nang to help support our troops and the war effort in Vietnam. Shortly before Christmas of 1969, the "S. S. Badger State" runs into two gargantuan storms that seem to converge directly into the men and cargo of the "S.S. Badger State." The bombs break loose in their cargo holds, and then...
you must read the book!

The author is really a superb writer and nautical historian. However, he sometimes gives too many historical examples of similar events to intensify the fate of this particular ship and incident. His examples are extremely interesting but...often too long. These constant historical vignettes only serve to take the readers focus away from the main events at hand. Much of that ancillary information could easily be put into another book on historical ship wrecks.

William Benedetto deserves the highest praises for sharing his expertise and love for those who suffer peril upon the seas.

A truly good book and one that all sailors, past and present should read.

Aye--Aye Captain!

This book is superbly written. The amazing story of the SS Badger State is magnetic, and even more fascinating because it's true! I will recommend this book every chance I get, and I will keep my copy as a prized possession.

I recently sailed with a person who was a crewmember on the S.S. Badger State when this tragic incident occurred. Your book brought the story full circle, thanks for writing such an illuminating account.

Paul J. Gunis

Very few people are likely to have heard of the loss of the American merchant ship Badger State at Christmas of 1969. She was carrying a load of bombs to resupply the Air Force in Vietnam, and a chain of unfortunate events--poor stowage of the explosives, carrying an insufficient amount of cargo so that the ship rode high, bad weather--combined to lead almost inevitably to tragedy.

Benedetto, in very simple and unadorned prose that is not bogged down by a great deal of nautical jargon, provides a workmanlike rendition of the last days of the ship and crew. He draws heavily upon the documented testimony of survivors before a Board of Inquiry and received very significant input from Charles Wilson, the captain of the late vessel.

He also throws in a great deal of material (which at times verges on simple padding) about the tragic experiences of many other ships of the U.S. Merchant Marine over the last two hundred years, particularly about their destruction by, or, in some cases, escape from, Axis forces in WWII.

A small number of black and white photos are included. The diagrams of the ship and of the bomb pallets would have been better placed at the beginning of the book for easier reference.

This is not a lyrical and haunting masterpiece of man's struggle against the hostility of nature, but it's a serviceable enough rendering of an otherwise forgotten disaster and a nice primer about the sacrifices of the merchant marine.

I am really satisfied with this handbook. I am a beginning proficiency in this adventure and this book is showing in a clear matter the aerodynamic issues.

Took a long time to get here. Fumbled this one, but recovered because the book is in excelent condition and I still got it in plenty of time for school

Although this book is outdated by over ten years, it still is a wealth of information for those of us who are just beginning to get into GA. Although the book has reviews of a very broad range of Piper and Mooney products, there is no coverage of Cessna - which I found kind of odd. But I did like the scope of very different types of airplanes which were discussed.

It has been an excellent reference book for giving flying instruction. Any doubt? I go there, and there is always an answer.

Easy to read, easy to understand
Very good layout.
Raesonable priced.

Learning to fly helicopters is an undertaking unlike no other. It is more of a calling, actually. And a huge commitment of time, money, and energy. Mr. Padfield understands this. He knows what it feels like to learn, get scared, become frustrated, and he helps the reader through it all with warm humor and inspiration. The text is clear and readable with many helpful illustrations. This is a great book to read as you study, to refer to as a beginning pilot, or to refresh your memory with. This book is unlike the majority of instructional volumes which are very dry and where the authors either talk down to the reader or lapse into technical jargon. Learning to fly helicopters is fun to read and very helpful
It also has lots of cool pictures.

If you're like me, and I know I am, you haven't attended any flight training yet. If this is correct, you are the target audience for this book. It is well-written, in a conversational style that makes all the theory of the early chapters and the emergency procedures of the later chapters understandable on a first reading. I had just applied for the Army's Aviation Warrant Officer program when I ordered this book. I had slogged halfway through the Army's Fundamentals of Flight field manual when this arrived from Amazon. The theory matched point for point, which shouldn't be surprising since Mr. Padfield writes that he learned rotary aviation from the Army when he was an Air Force pilot.

The two major differences that make spending money on this book preferable to reading the free Army manual are: 1. the manual was apparently written for those who have already learned how to fly for the Army, and includes so many acronyms and abbreviations a complete beginner must constantly stop reading to look up the meanings; and 2. Mr. Padfield includes tips and tricks and helpful hints gained from many years and 9000+ hours of flying helicopters, all effortlessly included in the text giving the impression that he is sitting in the cockpit next to you helping you out.

The book includes many illustrations, photos and diagrams to assist the reader in better visualizing the ideas brought forth in the text. Also, as the text verbally illustrates the concepts, the repetitive nature of some of the motions helps the reader retain the knowledge (i.e., pulling up the collective and twisting the throttle combine to adjust power... since those motions are necessary for most operations, any time he mentions another operation, he verbally illustrates by mentioning how to adjust each control).

The only reason I couldn't rate the book 5 stars was the photography. The photos are all black and white, and by today's printing standards they are low quality. Since most of the pictures are mainly for general interest (i.e., various full-body shots of helicopters common in the 90s when the book was written), that's not normally an issue. The problem for me came when he was describing the controls and showing a low-quality, too-small grayscale photo that's not very clear. Also, it's been long enough since the book came out (at least a decade); some of the new gizmos he mentions would be available or common soon should have been implemented by now and even newer ideas brought out. An additional chapter updating these thoughts would be nice.

In general though, the theory is the same, making the book stand up well over the years. Of course, if you're already a pilot, I suspect you won't pick up much if anything from this book, aside from an appreciation for Mr. Padfield's writing style. Although some of the tips, particularly ones having to do with emergency procedures, may help some.

It's an excellent book (other than the photos), and I highly recommend it to the novice.

In other words, it's a great book to read if you're thinking about learning to fly helicopters and want to learn more of what it's all about. Don't confuse this with a real flight training manual -- it falls far short of that. But it is a fun read that will make someone interested in flying helicopters more eager to get started. It'll also give you the information you need to better understand what's going on during those first few training flights.

Perfect for the beginner. Lets you know in plain English what flying is all about and what you have to know to do it. Goes beyound laws and theory and explains why things work instead of makeing you memorize. I only gave it 4 stars because it needs to be updated from the 80's.

This book immediately draws you in and teaches you the basics. The first few chapters are really easy to read and understand. It does get harder at the end but by then you're hooked. I read this one before moving on the FAA manual. If I had started with the FAA manual I would have been completely lost.

Dragon's Gate seems to be quite the marvelous book to read. I always favored the Chinese culture, and it was pleasing to learn more about it. Though I didn't really understand half of it. It didn't seem to get through my head when it was mentioned Otter was adopted by a new woman, who was married to Squeaky, but had feelings for another man, his father. I wasn't exactly sure whether his adopted father was Squeaky or not, which threw me off course slightly. However, the book was very enjoyable. It was somewhat humorous, since Braid seems to be a gurgler when someone says something wrong. It was strange though, how they called America 'The Golden Mountain.' I was somewhat confused more than half the time, but I was able to understand the story. It was exciting when he acctually had the chance to visit 'The Golden Mountain,' as well. Out of all events, I liked three the most. I adored how Braid continued to clear his throat and gurgle while Otter's friend carried on with speaking. It was amazing to learn that a special drug, opium, was sold in China after the Opium War, causing several addicts spending their money, resulting to poverty. What I truly liked the most though was the fact that Otter's father had worse English than Otter, when his father had been working on 'The Golden Mountain' for years. I would definately recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction, at ages ten and up.

The Chinese culture has always been fascinated by dragons. They have many sculptures, drawings and stories about dragons. The book Dragon Keeper is no exception. It is about a slave girl who befriends a dragon and goes out on a quest to get to a mystical place called Ocean.

The story starts with a lowly slave girl living on a mountain in the far borders of the Han Empire (which was the ruling force back then in China.) The girl lives with the Imperial Dragon Keeper, her master, Lan. It was Lan's job to take care of the imperial dragons, but he got lazy and the slave girl took his job and took care of the beasts. Then, when one of the two last dragons die, the girl feels remorse and starts to take better care of the last one. Then, one day, the girl is forced to escape with the dragon, when an evil dragon hunter finds her and the dragon out.

During the long journey to Ocean, the girl learns her name, befriends people (who turn into her enemies), and fights villains. The book was very enjoyable because of its excitement when you didn't know what was going to happen next. The riddles sometimes go unsolved in the book, which I really didn't like, but if you do solve them it makes you want to read it more. Over all, the book was pretty good, and if you like dragons or the Chinese culture, you should get the book. Dragon Keeper had many mysteries and surprises around every corner, so stay close to the dragons, but keep away from the tigers.

Dragon's Gate is a book that orbits around the great bond of friendship that can ease pain. I am very fond of the characters as they are who grab the reader to read on. The book takes place at the time of America's construction of the railroad (mid 1800's) and as we all know many Chinese men were the reason for its climb. So we follow the main character, Otter in his journey to the land where his father and uncle work and with him meet many of his disappointments and surprises. I myself have learned a lot as the author dresses the reader in Otter's shoes. We see the unruly way the Chinese men were treated despite all that they lost to give to The Land of the Golden Mountain (America) what they had planned. I also appreciate the author's great talent of figurative language. The scenery created with his words really helps compose the outlook of whatever situation the author is trying to describe; which in my opinion aids the reader in "living" the story.
I recommend this book to whoever is (or vaguely is) familiar with the situation occurring at that time. The book is an easy read and students starting from middle school level and above might enjoy and understand its adventure. Dragon's Gate will definitely enhance the readers knowledge of the situation at that time especially because history never recorded the happenings. As wonderful as the language use was in the book, it still felt that it needed to be more tangible to the reader, and the events happened too fast you could find yourself lost a couple of times at each chapter. Some situations were very vague.

Dragon's Gate was an interesting read. The characters came to life, and the situations brought upon a reality which no one could have possibly imagined to be real. I loved the descriptive language that was used throughout the story. It made things look real through the perspective of another person. In a way, it gave me a better feel of the atmosphere and setting. The characters itself were charming yet original or life-like. I say this because we often feel that the characters in most stories are too non-realistic and we don't often find similarities between us and the characters. The characters in Dragon's Gate allowed most of the readers to learn from a more realistic perspective and feeling which also gave room to finding similarities and familiar emotions we often face in every day life. For example, in reality, how would we feel about sacrificing our lives to save others? I for one, must say that the very thought scares me yet at the same time we feel we must. This book makes you ponder how you value yourself, and as you read through the enchanting pages you find yourself asking, "Did I do the same thing when I was put in this situation?" or, "Is this what you really do?" and so forth. You may also find that as you read the book, your feelings unwind and you find yourself bound to the characters themselves.
I would personally recommend this book to ages 12 and above. I believe that it's both enriching and informative and will allow them to broaden their minds while receiving a general knowledge and understanding in return.

This book is officialy the most boring and worst book that i have ever read. I didnt find any part of this book exciting or good. The whole thing was boring. I had to read this book for school with a group of 5 or 6 other people. Every single person in the group hated the book. I hated this book.

I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful book. This is my 19 month old son's favorite. I found this at a yard sale, and upon seeing it for the first time, my son said "OOOOOOOH!" and started flipping through the pages excitedly. The illustrations are soft and intersting to toddlers and even though it is an alphabet book, the story hold anticipation and facination. We love it!

This is a fun book. My two-year old asks me to read this book to him all the time.

My four year old loves all things construction. This book was perfect for him, both for the text and pictures. It captures common types of equipment, paired with great illustrations. I would definitely recommend.

I'm going to order this book for my truck-crazy niece and godsons! Wanted to point people to another favorite that's not linked here, called "Hush Little Digger," a version of the lullabye "Hush Little Baby," but all about construction trucks. It's a current favorite and a must for truck-loving kids. Fun to sing aloud!

I got this book for my son who is in love with construction vehicles thinking it would be another way to teach the alphabet. The illustrations are terrific - lots of things to see, name and tell the color of. The story, while it rhymes, uses lots of words, not just the same simple ones over and over. (I didn't know it rhymed until I read it on my own without stopping to comment on every little thing on the page!) My son has since incorporated some of the "big" words from this book into his every day lexicon.

I want to point out a couple things about this book, first, most of the information on the tunnel construction focuses on the tunnels under the Hudson and little to the construction of Penn Station proper. I was a little disappointed by that. Jones also spends few pages on the tunnels under Manhattan and the four tunnels under the East River. However, it is well written and gives a great peek inside the PRR itself and the politics of the time, as well as the men behind Penn Station's construction. Despite its abbreviated narrative on certain subjects, I gave it a 5 because I had a hard time putting it down.

There was a point while I was reading Jill Jonnes', "Conquering Gotham", that I wished I could reach back through time, grab old Penn Station and plunk it back down onto its comfortable spot at 7th Avenue and West 32nd Street. Not the tawdry Penn Station I remember walking through as a child of eight or nine with my mother on the way to visiting my father at his showroom around the corner on West 31st Street, the one with the dusty, decrepit old signs, the misplaced ticket counters blocking one's way , and the general filth and neglect following years of the financial decline of its eponymous Railroad company owner. No, it would be the pristine building with the tremendous open spaces that must have awed travelers to New York and that can only be seen now in old black and white photos. Or, it would have been the restored Penn Station that almost surely would have been had it only survived a few more years into the 1980's or 1990's, and just as actually did happen to that other great New York Train station a few blocks to the northeast.

The story related by the author was really about the dream of one man, Alexander Cassatt, President of the Pennsylvania Railroad to connect the greatest, best run railroad in America, to its greatest city. In an era when most railroad heads were Robber Barons who manipulated their company's stock to enrich themselves and who cared nothing or little for their shareholders, employees or passengers, Cassatt was a statesman who ran the `Pennsy', as it was affectionately called, always with the goal of improving it.

For his project, Cassatt was able to turn to an outstanding team of engineers including the great English tunnel builder, Charles Jacobs, bridge builder Alfred Noble and James Forgie. To design his new train station, Cassatt hand-selected Charles McKim, senior partner of the greatest architectural firm in New York, and maybe the nation, McKim, Mead & White, partly because he wanted and needed a New Yorker to build the station, but also because of McKim's knowledge of things classical and sense of beauty. McKim gave Cassatt and his railroad a monumental building, a truly magnificent visual symbol of the project for all who walked or rode through it.

Penn Station was, of course, just part of the tremendous engineering project its owner took on. In scope, the project ranked with the building of the Brooklyn Bridge as one of the two great construction projects of its era. In addition to McKim's station, the project required buying up hundreds of buildings secretly and anonymously over several blocks of what was then the city's tenderloin district, getting the city to close off and demap three long blocks of West 32nd Street, tunneling under two rapidly flowing rivers and through the rocky heights of the New Jersey Palisades and under the entire width of an already heavily built up part of Manhattan near 31st Street. The project also included a connection to the Long Island Rail Road in Queens, and a new bridge over the Hell Gate that would give the Railroad a direct, through connection to Boston and the rest of New England. The project cost the lives of dozens of workers to accidents and the dreaded Caisson's disease, also known as "the bends." Among those who died was the only son of Samuel Rea, one of Cassatt's chief lieutenants and future president of the Railroad.

Neither Cassatt nor McKim would live to see the project's completion. Cassatt died of a heart attack just after Christmas in 1906, the strain of bringing his massive project to completion coupled with investigations of false allegations that his railroad had resorted to bribing Tammany Hall, New York's often corrupt Democratic Party machine, in order to get the political favors necessary to secure approval for the project, proved to much for him. The chronically sickly McKim died in 1909, having never really recovered from the murder of his great friend and business partner, Stanford White, in 1906 by financier Henry Thaw, over a sordid romantic encounter White had once had with the young address Thaw would marry.

Penn Station lasted a marvelous half-century, but as the final chapter in the book so eloquently points out there were a number of factors that ultimately doomed it. Most importantly, despite its magnificence as architecture, Penn Station never functioned perfectly well as a railroad station. The Architecture critic, Kidder Smith, once wrote that while Grand Central "works superbly," [Penn Station], "picturesquely stuffed into a Roman bath, did not."

In addition Penn Station's location never became as central to the city as did Grand Central's. It took a decade before subway service passed through the station and while the area gradually improved, the old tenderloin district became a gritty manufacturing area rather than an area of first rate office buildings and hotels. Unlike the New York Central Railroad, which bought land surrounding its new terminal to ensure such structures would be built,the Pennsylvania Railroad would not, or could not do the same for its station.

Will "Conquering Gotham" ever become a landmark book on New York City history in the same way that both "The Power Broker", Robert Caro's exhaustively researched and ultimately devastating indictment of New York Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, or David McCullough's romantic, novel-like, "The Great Bridge", about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge have become? Maybe not, but Jonnes' book is an excellent, highly recommended read about an important part of New York City history, and one that gets better as one reads on.

Jill Jonnes has written a very engaging book about the construction of the late great Penn Station and its tunnels. She captures the language and textures of the late 19th and early 20th century when this monumental undertaking took place. Not surprisingly, she focuses on the railroad king, Alexander Cassatt, who had the audacity to challenge Cornelius Vanderbilt's monopoly on the railroad lines entering Gotham. She charts the various attempts to bridge over and tunnel under the Hudson but best laid engineering attempts had been laid to waste. That was until Charles Jacobs entered on the scene, who had an ego to match Cassatt and the will to complete the tunnels in spite of all criticism to the contrary.

Jonnes also gets into the many political machinations that took place, not least of all Tammany Hall, which pretty much ruled the roost. But, Cassatt was determined not to coddle these power brokers, seeing to it that he built the tunnels honestly. I'm not sure how noble a man Cassatt was, since Jonnes is not overly critical of him. She paints him in heroic terms as she does Jacobs for daring to defy engineering convention and building tunnels through the primordial ooze that underlay the Hudson River.

She spends less time on the great station itself, noting that it was the grandest station of its day and giving the reader a dutiful description of its architect, William McKim, who was considered by many the leading architect of his day. He apparently formed a close working relationship with Cassatt but Jonnes prefers to focus on the engineers that made history by completing the tunnels that fed the station, eventually to be named after each of the engineers that were part of the project.

I loved her book on Edison/Westinghouse and this one is great as well - - very well done - thanks !

definitely an enjoyable and readable book. The focus is definitely on the tunnel construction---less focused on Penn Station itself.