Engines of War: How Wars Were Won & Lost on the Railways

by Christian Wolmar (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2010

  $3.44

  Before the nineteenth century, armies had to rely on slow and unreliable methods of transportation to move soldiers and equipment during times of conflict. But with the birth of the railroad in the early 1830s, the way wars were fought would change forever. In Engines of War, renowned expert Christian Wolmar tells the story of that transformation, examining all the engagements in which railways played a part from the Crimean War and American Civil War through both world wars, the Korean War, and the Cold War with its mysterious missile trains. He shows that the 'iron road' not only made armies far more mobile, but also greatly increased the scale and power of available weaponry. Wars began to be fought across wider fronts and over longer timescales, with far deadlier consequences. From armored engines with their swiveling guns to track sabotage by way of dynamite, railway lines constructed across frozen Siberian lakes and a Boer war ambush involving Winston Churchill, Engines of War shows how the railways - a fantastic generator of wealth in peacetime - became a weapon of war exploited to the full by governments across the world.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2010

  $4.43

  This is a Christmas hardback with tremendous sales potential. Engines of War tells the dramatic story of how the birth of the railways shaped how wars were fought and won, facilitating conflict on a previously unimaginable scale. Before the nineteenth century, armies had to rely on slow and unreliable methods of transportation to move soldiers and equipment during times of conflict. However, as Christian Wolmar demonstrates in this book, the birth of the railway in the early 1830s would transform the theatres of war. Engines of War spans more than a century and takes in all the engagements in which railways played a part, including the Crimean War, American Civil War, both world wars, the Korean War, and the Cold War - with its mysterious missile trains. It shows that the 'iron road' not only made armies far more mobile, but also greatly increased the scale and power of available weaponry. In doing so, wars were fought across wider fronts and over longer timescales, with far deadlier consequences. Christian Wolmar reveals how the extent and intensity of war increased during this period as a result of this fast and efficient transport and shows how the railways - a fantastic generator of wealth in peacetime - became a weapon of war exploited to the full by governments across the world, facilitating conflict on a scale that was previously unimaginable. From armoured engines with their swiveling guns to track sabotage by way of dynamite, railway lines constructed across frozen Siberian lakes and a Boer war ambush involving Winston Churchill, Engines of War is Christian Wolmar's most ambitious and original book yet, confirming his reputation as our leading transport historian. It is suitable for fans of Simon Winchester, Peter Ackroyd, Andrew Roberts, Anthony Beevor, Patrick Bishop and Christian Wolmar's The Subterranean Railway , Fire and Steam and Blood, Iron and Gold .