Allies of the Earth

by Runte, Alfred

• ISBN13: 9781931112529
• ISBN10: 1931112525
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-01-01
• Publisher: Truman State Univ Pr

Summary

What did America lose with the decline of the passenger train? Much more than most of us think. The greatest loss is the alliance between technology and the land, according to public historian Alfred Runte. Once abandoning railroads would have been unthinkable, but we have virtually forgotten the importance of trains for our country and for ourselves. Now the landscape suffers in our mindless rush to get rid of old technology and blindly embrace the new.

Table of Contents

Illustrations	p. xi
Preface	p. xv
Prologue: The Earth on Display	p. 1
The Places We Rode	p. 7
The Legacy of Phoebe Snow	p. 19
What Europe Is Teaching Still	p. 32
Dismemberment and Farewell	p. 39
Vows Made to Rivers	p. 50
The Debate We Never Had	p. 65
The Quick Fix	p. 72
Tunnel Vision	p. 81
Home Again, and Santa Barbara	p. 88
Gateway to Wilderness	p. 100
Designing for Nature	p. 111
Grand Canyon	p. 127
Future Imperfect	p. 135
The Time We Save	p. 141
Something Real	p. 145
Power and Obligation	p. 153
Rethinking Europe	p. 160
Epilogue: The Land Would Ask for Trains	p. 174
Notes	p. 177
For Further Reading	p. 185
Index	p. 189
About the Author	p. 195
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.