The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America’s First Subway

This book was thoroughly fun. I really enjoyed it, living as I do in Boston, and having lived in New York, and seeing how the subway system was conceived and built n both cities was interesting. I'm no specialist, so it was readable and interesting without being so detailed that I felt I was plowing through information that just got in the way. Boston won the "race" by the way.I also had tine unusual experience of reading the book on the red line of the Boston subway, which was stuck in numerous slowdowns and service delays (and a complete shutdown of the subway due to a blizzard) over the week of January 26th to 29th, 2015. The lousy service added a full hour (and in one case, two hours) to my commute. The subways still need a good deal of work, but I'm glad they exist, though reading about service delays in the 19th century while stuck underground in the 21st, was somewhat ironic.

It is hard to grasp the daring, creative men of the mid to late 19th century when we are living today with what we perceive to be the greatest, most creative entrepreneurs who ever lived. After all look at the computer, the cell phone, the ipod all miracles created by the great thinkers and dreamers of our day.Well if you read “The Race Underground” by Doug Most you will find amazing men who were equally important dreamers and thinkers for the late 19th century. It is a fascinating story filled with adventure, daring and people who refused to give up often in the face of ridiculous odds. Then when you realize that what they left to us is still used today over 100 years since the subways were built in Boston and New York City you see an enduring contribution they made to the daily lives of people who live in cities.The writing is historic and yet personal. One gets to know many of the people on a human level rather then just the facts of what they accomplished. Do yourself a favor and read this book.Esteruth Rumpler

I was so excited when I read the description for this book. I was even more excited when I started seeing so many positive reviews flowing in. The waiting list at the library was superrr long, so I did something I rarely do, which is buy a book. I could not be more disappointed. First of all, as others have mentioned, the title is extremely misleading. There is not a single word in the book about the two cities racing for anything. If you're expecting some dramatic book with a huge climax as they both race to the finish, you're absolutely looking in the wrong place.Anyways, I could forgive the misleading title if the book was actually interesting for a transit nerd such as myself. The description (and reviews on here) certainty did a great job of selling it. Sadly, the book is nothing more than a series of short stories. A character will be introduced, some event will happen, we'll hear about the childhood of some random unimportant guy. I kept thinking all these stories were building up to something, and that they'd all be tied together in the end. As I approached the end, I was totally wrong. The random stories just keep coming, and while a few of them vaguely tie together, its up to you to make the connections (which is especially hard since there are so many unrelated names/stories floating around in your head).Is this book really 1 star worthy? No. But given the high reviews it has gotten, I felt the need to give it 1 star. It is much worse than the reviews would suggest. Read some of the other 2 and 3 star reviews, and you will see a common theme. If you're a real transit nerd and thinks this book sounds like the best book ever, do me a favor and get it from the library. You'll be so disappointed if you buy this like I did :(

I like history, and I like infrastructure. This book brought two together in a very informative and interesting style. It was almost like a novel, making me feel like I was living in the 19th century when the bulk of the book is centered. It was clear that this was not an academic thesis, nor is it a collection of regurgitated newspaper articles.Because of my hectic schedule I wound reading it in small chunks over a couple of weeks. If I had the option, I could easily have read it in a couple of sittings because it was that interesting. The traversal across time and geography ,move around at a pace that kept you wanting to see how it all came together. While the subject is not suspenseful, the distribution of facts combined with historical context and personal perspectives made it an intriguing story.

I was driving and listening to NPR and heard a interview with the author about this book. I was immediately interested in learning more. When the NPR reporter said it was her favorite she read this year, I recommended this being my book clubs next book. So glad I did. It has an overarching story of creating the first subway in America. But it was so much more as well. It also had vignettes of smaller but related details (London’s underground, Civil war, government and politics, converting from steam to electric and even large blizzards) that may at first glance seem unrelated, but pulling all the pieces together they wove the tapestry of interrelated details in creating underground mass transit. Kudos to the author Doug Most on brilliant research and weaving together this complex story, I have not enjoyed this level of research and storytelling since reading ‘Devil in the White City’. Very enjoyable read.

Good story on the efforts to build subways in New York City and Boston at the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century. Perhaps too much emphasis on the role of Boston (Most appears to live and work there). Boston may have had the first in the USA but they built a cut-and cover tunnel with a trolley (called a light rail today) not a true subway. New York City was second in USA but built a true subway system. Also, we must never forget what America owes to the UK , especially the work done in London but James Greathead and others. Most is a excellent writer and I enjoyed the book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the intersection of public works, politics, business and engineering.

A fabulous book! I have read it over the course of a week or so because I had other stuff to read too, but each time I put the book Down I was just thinking. I think the description of Alfred Beach tunnel Train was what started it all and we own him gratitude. because he is the one who lighted the 'fuse'. But Whitney's efforts to conquer Budgets in 1880's in times when economy was faltering and banks have closed were blessed by good work - the paying of 2 dollars a day(a lot back then) and getting all those workers from Europe. Immigrants who made America made also at least 2 of its Subways and that is a story to give them to. and us. I am European, but for the history books I have encountered it showed the London underground needed proper Airways indeed and many have complained, sure :) but not so on the Boston N.Y - With the intense work building them and also fractions between Thomas Edison and other engineers and still the work hasn't stopped. It was in the end blessed. There is Nice description of black man(Epps) working alongside white man. Underground made by immigrants . It's lovely book full of description from history books about the Builders I never knew of. Just a '5' star book!

Have finished about half this book and find it quite engrossing and well written and very factual and a revealing history of the pre-subway days in a number of American cities. Can't wait to get into the meat of the topic.

Fantastic book.