Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental Railroad is a 2015 non-fiction children's book by American writer and historian Martin W. Sandler. The book details the creation of the transcontinental railroad through competing companies, including "the greed, corruption, and violence that followed the tracks".[1] Like Sandler's other books, Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation includes various contemporary photographs.
Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation was well received by critics. According to School Library Journal's Hilary Writt, "Sandler tells a good story, filled with complex characters, adventure, and heartache, and he meticulously documents his research efforts".[2] Similarly, Angela Leeper, writing for Booklist, highlighted the book's "stunning detail",[1] and Kirkus Reviews referred to the book as a "dramatic story related in dramatic fashion".[3] Writt noted, however, that "even though Sandler expounds throughout on the sacrifices made by Chinese workers and the irreparable impact on Native Americans and their culture, the book is written from the perspective of those in power."[2]
