ALA Booklist (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

No one knows who first envisioned a transcontinental railroad, but its completion would open up the American West and forever change the country as a whole. In stunning detail, Sandler recounts the race between competing eastern and western railroad companies to lay the most miles of tracks before they were linked, resulting in "the most dramatic and most heralded race the nation had ever known," and accomplished entirely by hand. He describes the greed, corruption, and violence that followed the tracks as he introduces the key players in the construction and financing, the horrible working conditions, and the rough terrain. Sandler emphasizes throughout that the project would never have been completed without the labor of 10,000 Chinese men. While the transcontinental railroad brought speed and efficiency st notably, reducing a six-month cross-country trip to less than a week t everyone benefited. Conflicts with Native Americans, whose land was invaded, are also discussed. A plethora of archival photographs highlight daring men and rugged landscapes in this well-researched and fascinating adventure in history.

Horn Book

In 1862 President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act, which authorized construction of the transcontinental railroad. Alternating chapters follow the railroad's progress westward from Omaha and eastward from Sacramento until the two lines meet in the middle. Well-positioned and comprehensive sidebar material--along with archival photographs and clear, uncluttered maps--add fascinating detail about the people and places involved in the project. Timeline. Bib., ind.

School Library Journal (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Gr 7 Up-Sandler chronicles the development of the transcontinental railroad, from its genesis through its legacy, with an abundance of photographs and lively text. Alternating chapters describe the progress made by the two companiesthe Central Pacific and the Union Pacificand the author incorporates maps and images, appropriately placed along the way, to further convey the magnitude of the railroad. The pacing, particularly when the two teams meet, is spot-on and mimics the advances of a train. Sandler tempers this engineering feat with details about the corruption that surrounded it, the "Hell on Wheels" towns that appeared alongside the tracks, and the human and environmental toll it took, which enables readers to look critically at an historical event. Sidebars and primary sources, which highlight people and innovations and enrich the narrative, interrupt the story's flow in a few places. Even though Sandler expounds throughout on the sacrifices made by Chinese workers and the irreparable impact on Native Americans and their culture, the book is written from the perspective of those in power. VERDICT Sandler tells a good story, filled with complex characters, adventure, and heartache, and he meticulously documents his research efforts.— Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY