Death Rode the Rails

"A fascinating account of one of America's most important industries and its dangers."

"A well-made book such as this one stands out as a rare exception."

"Students of rail safety, and today's Class I railroad managers, need to read this volume."

"Aldrich has created a masterpiece. His research is extensive, drawing on a rich variety of obscure yet relevant sources."

"Aldrich... has done an excellent and thorough job of explaining and analyzing the evolution of rail safety over nearly two hundred years."

"One of the first large-scale scholarly studies of railroad safety in America... I recommend this book without qualifications."

"An excellent narrative of the evolution of public and industry focus on industrial safety."

"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."

"A thought-provoking and well-grounded contribution to the history of American economic development."

"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."

"A work of merit... Essential reading for historians of transport safety, business, and technology."

"Impressive and thoroughly researched... Demonstrates how railroad safety evolved from the intersection of market pressures, technology, and public sentiment."

"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."

"A masterful study of the complex evolution of railroad safety."

"Highly informative... A worthwhile read."