The Last Spike

Author : Pierre Berton
Publisher : Anchor Canada
Page : 498 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2010-12-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9780385673549

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The Last Spike by Pierre Berton Pdf

In the four years between 1881 and 1885, Canada was forged into one nation by the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Last Spike reconstructs the incredible story of how some 2,000 miles of steel crossed the continent in just five years — exactly half the time stipulated in the contract. Pierre Berton recreates the adventures that were part of this vast undertaking: the railway on the brink of bankruptcy, with one hour between it and ruin; the extraordinary land boom of Winnipeg in 1881–1882; and the epic tale of how William Van Horne rushed 3,000 soldiers over a half-finished railway to quell the Riel Rebellion. Dominating the whole saga are the men who made it all possible — a host of astonishing characters: Van Horne, the powerhouse behind the vision of a transcontinental railroad; Rogers, the eccentric surveyor; Onderdonk, the cool New Yorker; Stephen, the most emotional of businessmen; Father Lacombe, the black-robed voyageur; Sam Steele, of the North West Mounted Police; Gabriel Dumont, the Prince of the Prairies; more than 7,000 Chinese workers, toiling and dying in the canyons of the Fraser Valley; and many more — land sharks, construction geniuses, politicians, and entrepreneurs — all of whom played a role in the founding of the new Canada west of Ontario.

Author : Pierre Berton
Publisher : Markham, Ont. : Penguin Books Canada/McClelland and Stewart
Page : 566 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 1989
Category : History
ISBN : 0140117636

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The Last Spike by Pierre Berton Pdf

Describes the political and financial problems that had to be overcome to complete Canada's first transcontinental railway

Author : E. J. Pratt
Publisher : Good Press
Page : 71 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2021-08-30
Category : Poetry
ISBN : EAN:4066338052445

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Towards the Last Spike by E. J. Pratt Pdf

Towards the Last Spike was written in 1952 by Canadian poet E. J. Pratt. It is a long narrative poem in blank verse about the construction of the first transcontinental railroad line in Canada, that of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), from 1871 through 1885. Excerpt: "It was the same world then as now—the same, Except for little differences of speed And power, and means to treat myopia To show an axe-blade infinitely sharp Splitting things infinitely small, or else Provide the telescopic sight to roam Through curved dominions never found in fables. The same, but for new particles of speech..."

Author : Ray Argyle
Publisher : Dundurn
Page : 143 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2010-07-26
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 9781554887873

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The Boy in the Picture by Ray Argyle Pdf

Recounts the life of Edward Mallandaine, a teenaged railroad worker who appears in the photograph depicting the ceremonial laying of the last spike to mark the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in Craigellachie, British Columbia, in 1885.

Author : Pierre Berton
Publisher : Anchor Canada
Page : 465 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2011-06-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9780385673556

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The National Dream by Pierre Berton Pdf

In 1871, a tiny nation, just four years old—it's population well below the 4 million mark—determined that it would build the world's longest railroad across empty country, much of it unexplored. This decision—bold to the point of recklessness—was to change the lives of every man, woman and child in Canada and alter the shape of the nation. Using primary sources—diaries, letters, unpublished manuscripts, public documents and newspapers—Pierre Berton has reconstructed the incredible decade of the 1870s, when Canadians of every stripe—contractors, politicians, financiers, surveyors, workingmen, journalists and entrepreneurs—fought for the railway, or against it. The National Dream is above all else the story of people. It is the story of George McMullen, the brash young promoter who tried to blackmail the Prime Minister; of Marcus Smith, the crusty surveyor, so suspicious of authority he thought the Governor General was speculating in railway lands; of Sanford Fleming, the great engineer who invented Standard Time but who couldn't make up his mind about the best route for the railway. All these figures, and dozens more, including the political leaders of the era, come to life with all their human ambitions and failings.

Author : Kenneth Oppel
Publisher : David Fickling Books
Page : 243 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2014-09-04
Category : Young Adult Fiction
ISBN : 9781910200261

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The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel Pdf

After a murder is committed, Will finds himself in possession of a key that has the potential to unlock the train's hidden treasures. Together with Maren, a gifted escape artist, and Mr Dorian, a circus ringmaster with amazing abilities, Will must save the Boundless before someone else winds up dead. With villains fast on his heels and strange creatures lurking outside the windows, the train hurtles across the country as Will flees for his life.His adventure may have begun without his knowing . . . but how it ends is now entirely up to Will.

Author : Pierre Berton
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 1975
Category : Railroads
ISBN : OCLC:59213547

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The Great Railway Illustrated by Pierre Berton Pdf

Author : David Haward Bain
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 816 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2000-09-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9781101658048

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Empire Express by David Haward Bain Pdf

After the Civil War, the building of the transcontinental railroad was the nineteenth century's most transformative event. Beginning in 1842 with a visionary's dream to span the continent with twin bands of iron, Empire Express captures three dramatic decades in which the United States effectively doubled in size, fought three wars, and began to discover a new national identity. From self--made entrepreneurs such as the Union Pacific's Thomas Durant and era--defining figures such as President Lincoln to the thousands of laborers whose backbreaking work made the railroad possible, this extraordinary narrative summons an astonishing array of voices to give new dimension not only to this epic endeavor but also to the culture, political struggles, and social conflicts of an unforgettable period in American history.

Author : Cy Warman
Publisher : Good Press
Page : 131 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2019-12-16
Category : Fiction
ISBN : EAN:4064066194987

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The Last Spike by Cy Warman Pdf

Cy Warman's "The Last Spike and Other Railroad Stories" is a classic collection that celebrates American literature through tales of the railroad. Each story transports readers to a bygone era, capturing the adventures, challenges, and spirit of the railway world. Warman's storytelling brings to life the romance and allure of train journeys and their impact on American culture.

Author : Mary Trainer,Brian Antonson,Rick Antonson
Publisher : Heritage House Publishing Co
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2015
Category : Transportation
ISBN : 9781772030433

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Whistle Posts West by Mary Trainer,Brian Antonson,Rick Antonson Pdf

Everybody has a train story. Whether it comes from a distant relative who worked on the railways or from a family train trip that formed a lasting impression of the Canadian landscape, trains inspire a sense of wonder and nostalgia. They are embedded in the history of Canada as a whole and western Canada in particular, and for generations they were how most people travelled and saw the country. Today, trains get the most attention in the context of tragedy, in the aftermath of rare but catastrophic derailments. However, train stories go beyond these modern-day disaster tales or romantic glimpses into the past. Whistle Posts Westpresents a compelling array of stories that illustrate how and why the railways continue to capture our imaginations. From the heartbreaking to the humorous, from the awe-inspiring to the absurd, this fascinating collection of railway tales from BC, Alberta and Yukon is sure to please.

Author : Mark Humphries
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 232 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2023-01-24
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780691241487

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The Spike by Mark Humphries Pdf

The story of a neural impulse and what it reveals about how our brains work We see the last cookie in the box and think, can I take that? We reach a hand out. In the 2.1 seconds that this impulse travels through our brain, billions of neurons communicate with one another, sending blips of voltage through our sensory and motor regions. Neuroscientists call these blips “spikes.” Spikes enable us to do everything: talk, eat, run, see, plan, and decide. In The Spike, Mark Humphries takes readers on the epic journey of a spike through a single, brief reaction. In vivid language, Humphries tells the story of what happens in our brain, what we know about spikes, and what we still have left to understand about them. Drawing on decades of research in neuroscience, Humphries explores how spikes are born, how they are transmitted, and how they lead us to action. He dives into previously unanswered mysteries: Why are most neurons silent? What causes neurons to fire spikes spontaneously, without input from other neurons or the outside world? Why do most spikes fail to reach any destination? Humphries presents a new vision of the brain, one where fundamental computations are carried out by spontaneous spikes that predict what will happen in the world, helping us to perceive, decide, and react quickly enough for our survival. Traversing neuroscience’s expansive terrain, The Spike follows a single electrical response to illuminate how our extraordinary brains work.

Author : Jeremy Farrar,Anjana Ahuja
Publisher : Profile Books
Page : 269 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2021-07-22
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9781782839101

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Spike by Jeremy Farrar,Anjana Ahuja Pdf

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2022 THE TIMES SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR A GUARDIAN BEST POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR A TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *Revised and updated edition with new chapter reflecting on the impact of Covid-19 two years on, and what come next* Did the UK government really 'follow the science' throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, as it claims? As head of the Wellcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar was one of the first people in the world to hear about a mysterious new disease in China - and to learn it could readily spread between people. A member of the SAGE emergency committee, Farrar was a key figure in both the UK and the World Health Organization at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic amid great uncertainty, fast-moving situations and missed opportunities. Spike is his widely acclaimed inside story. His account casts light on the UK government's claims to be 'following the science' and is informed not just by Farrar's views but by interviews with other top scientists and political figures.

Author : Cecil Foster
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 300 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2019
Category : HISTORY
ISBN : UGA:32108061522143

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They Call Me George by Cecil Foster Pdf

A historical work of non-fiction that chronicles the little-known stories of black railway porters - the so-called "Pullmen" of the Canadian rail lines. The actions and spirit of these men helped define Canada as a nation in surprising ways; effecting race relations, human rights, North American multiculturalism, community building, the shape and structure of unions, and the nature of travel and business across the US and Canada. Drawing on the stories and legends of several of these influential early black Canadians, this book narrates the history of a very visible, but rarely considered, aspect of black life in railway-age Canada. These porters, who fought against the idea of Canada as White Man's Country, open only to immigrants from Europe, fought for opportunities and rights and won.

Author : Wulfram Gerstner,Werner M. Kistler,Richard Naud,Liam Paninski
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 591 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2014-07-24
Category : Computers
ISBN : 9781107060838

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Neuronal Dynamics by Wulfram Gerstner,Werner M. Kistler,Richard Naud,Liam Paninski Pdf

This solid introduction uses the principles of physics and the tools of mathematics to approach fundamental questions of neuroscience.

Author : Spike Milligan
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2012-12-13
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780241966204

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Goodbye Soldier by Spike Milligan Pdf

Spike Milligan's legendary war memoirs are a hilarious and subversive first-hand account of the Second World War, as well as a fascinating portrait of the formative years of this towering comic genius, most famous as writer and star of The Goon Show. They have sold over 4.5 million copies since they first appeared. 'The most irreverent, hilarious book about the war that I have ever read' Sunday Express 'Brilliant verbal pyrotechnics, throwaway lines and marvelous anecdotes' Daily Mail 'Desperately funny, vivid, vulgar' Sunday Times 'My namer is Maria Antonoinetta Fontana, but everyone call me Toni.' 'I'm Spike, sometimes known as stop thief or hey you.' 'Yeser, I know.' The sixth volume of Spike Milligan's off-the-wall account of his part in World War Two sees our hero doing very little soldiering. Because it's 1946. Rather, he is now part of the Bill Hall Trio - a 'Combined Services Entertainment' inflicted on unsuspecting soldiers across Italy and Austria - and is largely preoccupied with the unbearably beautiful ballerina, Ms Toni Fontana ('Arghhhhhhhhh!). But he must enjoy it while he can before he is demobbed and sent home to Catford - so he does ... 'That absolutely glorious way of looking at things differently. A great man' Stephen Fry 'Milligan is the Great God to all of us' John Cleese 'The Godfather of Alternative Comedy' Eddie Izzard 'Manifestly a genius, a comic surrealist genius and had no equal' Terry Wogan 'A totally original comedy writer' Michael Palin 'Close in stature to Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear in his command of the profound art of nonsense' Guardian Spike Milligan was one of the greatest and most influential comedians of the twentieth century. Born in India in 1918, he served in the Royal Artillery during WWII in North Africa and Italy. At the end of the war, he forged a career as a jazz musician, sketch-show writer and performer, before joining forces with Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe to form the legendary Goon Show. Until his death in 2002, he had success as on stage and screen and as the author of over eighty books of fiction, memoir, poetry, plays, cartoons and children's stories.