• Fifty Railways that Changed the Course of History is afascinating and beautifully presented guide to the train lines and rail companies thathave had the greatest impact on modern civilization.• Entries range from the Metropolitan Line of the LondonUnderground, the world’s first underground railway, to the Pacific Railroad, thefirst transcontinental railroad in North America.• In order to justify the assertion that they literally ''changedthe course of history,'' each railway is judged by its influence in fivecategories: Engineering, Society, commerce, Politics, and Military.Â