Nothing Like it in the World

I'm reading a great book by the late Stephen E. Ambrose, entitled Nothing Like it in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad, 1863-1869.

Ambrose also wrote another of my favorite books, Undaunted Courage, about the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Anyway, I picked this book up for $1 in a book clearinghouse up in Gainesville recently. I knew I liked Ambrose's writing style. And, I've got a mild interest in the history of railroading, which I picked up while researching my Blakesley ancestry. But, this book has really surpassed my expectations.

I've only just begun reading it, and have already found an interesting tidbit. Jefferson Davis, acting as Secretary of War during the 1850s, had recommended a southern route for the transcontinental railroad--from New Orleans to San Diego. But, Abraham Lincoln owned 17 pieces of property in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and was determined to see the line run from that point to San Francisco. So, it seems these two titans of the Civil War had a beef beyond states' rights, slavery, etc. Interesting, huh?

Back to my reading. Oh, yeah, and remember Pearl Harbor!