Transportation and Society

Traversing landscapes and expediting travel, railroads have allowed us to conquer once elusive frontiers to improve both transportation and commerce. Railroad design has changed remarkably little in the years since the invention of the steam engine, yet trains remain a prevalent form of transport and the railways. The bridges that have been developed to support them continue to be a vital part of infrastructures in countries around the world. This engaging volume examines the evolution of railways, railcars, and bridges, as well as the lives of pioneers and tycoons in the railroad business.

Humans have long dreamt of communing with the skies and acquiring the ability to fly. The first experiments with balloon flight through the development of the Concorde and everything in between, aviation has transformed the way humans travel, especially over vast distances. This penetrating volume examines the various technologies and aircraft that have enabled human flight and includes a comprehensive section on the design and operation of airports.

While the wheel itself has changed little over time, it has immeasurably altered the nature of transportation. This insightful volume examines the various wheeled conveyances that have been instrumental in agriculture and commerce-carts and wagons, for instance-as well as those that have facilitated human travel-coaches, bicycles, cars, and buses, among others. Also explored is the evolution of roads, as they have expanded to accommodate various modes of wheeled transportation.

Even as airlines provide faster means of travel, ships and boats remain as important as ever in transporting passengers and cargo across the world's bodies of water. While ship design has become increasingly sophisticated with time, everything including the luxury liners, warships, and sailboats of today owe much to the watercraft that facilitated travel, trade, and war among ancient cultures. This detailed volume examines the development of the different types of water vehicles and the design of related structures, including docks and quays.