A Work of Giants
This profusely illustrated and richly de-tailed story of the first American transcontinental railroad tells the great saga of the Union Pacific Railroad and the rival Central Pacific Railroad as they bridged two-thirds of North America.
Both companies shared the responsibility for the cross-country line-the Union Pacific pushing westward from Omaha, and the Central Pacific starting from Sacramento toward the unknown point where they would meet. The tremendous task of spanning the vast lands, of financing and equipping so immense and un-precedented a venture, and the harsh demands made on everyone concerned are described by Wesley Griswold in this vivid, dramatic account.
From the start, both railroads were be-set by financial problems, which were further complicated by personal conflicts and political difficulties. On the Central Pacific side, none of the chief officers had any knowledge of railroad building. After ground-breaking, the Union Pacific was stalled for two and a half years before it was able to acquire General Dodge, war hero and top-notch engineer, who drove it full steam ahead. General William Tecumseh Sherman, one of the nation's most ardent enthusiasts for the huge railroad project-and the man who first described the undertaking as a "work of giants,"-stated that even he did not expect to see it completed in his lifetime.
Overcoming the enormous financial and material obstacles imposed by Civil War shortages and the months-long delivery route around South America, the Central Pacific began work early in January, 1863. Step by step, the author follows the great bands of workers as they start out, illustrating his dramatic story with rare photographs that have been treasured for a century and carefully selected for A Work of Giants.
The Union Pacific was more fortunate, both in terms of terrain and in financial support, which resulted from government interest. However, political turmoil and intrigues plagued the company, and the notorious Credit Mobilier scandal, in-volving the principals of the Union Pacific, ruined the careers of several key participants.
Despite political chicanery and war-time obstacles, work went ahead. At one time the Central Pacific employed 12,000 men (10,000 were Chinese, imported for the task), working in fierce summer heat and through record winter blizzards as they struggled with snow plows, built trestles, and blasted their way through mountains. The Union Pacific's army of workers lived in portable towns, each known as "hell on wheels," which were moved as the track advanced. As graphic as the pictures that fill the pages are Mr. Griswold's descriptions of the law-lessness that characterized these wild, transient communities.
It was finally in May of 1869, with hundreds of workers dead, and millions of dollars spent or wasted, that the magnificent dream of spanning the continent by rail was realized. A Work of Giants tells one of the most stirring chapters in the nation's history, and with the rich anecdotes and legends that enliven his fine account, Mr. Griswold offers an unusually colorful excursion into a high order of Americana.
Hardback with dust jacket, 15x23cm, 367 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780999010709
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Updated: 15 September 2025