Very well written and readable history of the push for a railway between Liverpool and Manchester.

Rolt was a superb chronicler of the Industrial Revolution, and this is yet one more example of how good he was. This was part of a three-volume set of biographies of leading engineers of the first half of the 19th century, focusing on the father-son team of Stephensons, who played a major role in the development of steam locomotives and, later, civil engineering for bridges and rights-of-way. I thought Rolt was very even-handed in his analysis, in particular of the father's shortcomings, and he dispenses criticisms (most notably of previous biographical efforts) judiciously and fairly. It also helps greatly that Rolt was an expert on these topics, but one that could explain what was going on in simple terms. His descriptions of key competitions in locomotive design are quite gripping and engaging. Definitely recommended. ( )