Death Rode the Rails: American Railroad Accidents and Safety, 1828-1965
A fascinating account of one of America's most important industries and its dangers.(Scale Rails)A well-made book such as this one stands out as a rare exception.(Scitech Book News)Students of rail safety, and today's Class I railroad managers, need to read this volume.(Ray WeartTrains)Aldrich has created a masterpiece. His research is extensive, drawing on a rich variety of obscure yet relevant sources.(H. Roger GrantRegister of the Kentucky Historical Society)Aldrich... has done an excellent and thorough job of explaining and analyzing the evolution of rail safety over nearly two hundred years.(Jack W. TraylorHistory: Reviews of New Books)One of the first large-scale scholarly studies of railroad safety in America... I recommend this book without qualifications.(Imre E. QuastlerRailroad History)An excellent narrative of the evolution of public and industry focus on industrial safety.(Russell D. JonesEnterprise and Society)Important new book... A significant contribution to the study of both industrial safety and consumer safety as exemplified by one of the most important industries in our nation's history.(Marc J. SternBusiness History Review)A thought-provoking and well-grounded contribution to the history of American economic development.(James L. HuntJournal of American History)Pioneering... A central message of Aldrich's book is that 'little accidents' played a crucial though until now largely hidden role in the gradual evolution of a risk society.(Bill LuckinTechnology and Culture)A work of merit... Essential reading for historians of transport safety, business, and technology.(Mike EsbesterJournal of Transport History)Impressive and thoroughly researched... Demonstrates how railroad safety evolved from the intersection of market pressures, technology, and public sentiment.(James B. McSwainJournal of Southern History)Aldrich has written the field-defining work on railroad safety... An important corrective to the simplistic notion that railroad companies wanted nothing to do with safety before the era of federal regulation.(John Williams-SearleAnnals of Iowa)A masterful study of the complex evolution of railroad safety.(James W. Ely, Jr.American Historical Review)