The Railway Haters: Opposition To Railways, From the 19th to 21st Centuries
By: and
Sign Up Now!
Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title.
Learn about membership options,
or view our freely available titles.
- Synopsis
- This unique social history examines 200 years of controversy surrounding British Railways—from the dawn of industrialization to contemporary light rail. During the Industrial Revolution, the power of landowning aristocrats was challenged by the emergent wealth and influence of the urban middle class. There was no greater symbol of this seismic shift in society than the British Railways Companies. Railways, with their powers of compulsory purchase, intruded brutally into the previously sacrosanct estates and pleasure grounds of Britain's traditional ruling elite. Aesthetes like Ruskin and poets like Wordsworth ranted against railways; Sabbatarians attacked them for providing employment on the Lord's Day; antiquarians accused them of vandalism by destroying ancient buildings; others claimed their noise would make cows abort and chickens cease laying. And while the complaints have certainly changed, railways have continued to provoke debate ever since. Arguments have raged over railway nationalization and privatization, about the Beeching Plan to increase efficiency, and around urban light rail systems. Examining railways from their beginnings to the present, this book provides insights into social, economic and political attitudes and emphasizes both change and continuity over 200 years.
- Copyright:
- 2019
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- Book Size:
- 416 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9781526700223
- Related ISBNs:
- 9781526700209
- Publisher:
- Pen & Sword Books
- Date of Addition:
- 10/21/23
- Copyrighted By:
- Pen and Sword
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- History, Nonfiction, Social Studies
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
Reviews
Other Books
- by David L. Brandon
- by Alan Brooke
- in History
- in Nonfiction
- in Social Studies