At the end of World War II; the nations railroads were eager to replace their abundance of war-weary steam locomotives with sleek new diesel engines. From Cape May to Bayonne; New Jerseys tracks were soon humming with diesels while the old steamers were nudged onto the scrap tracks of the Central New Jersey; the Erie; and the New York; Susquehanna Western Railroads; among others. Powering a commuter train to Dover or a sand train to Millvilles Wheaton glass plant; the diesels instantly proved their worth; praised by railroad employees for their ease of running and maintenance. In an era when most clothes were dried outside; the public accepted the new lack of trackside coal ash with gusto. Steam to Diesel in New Jersey presents the mixed era of late-steam and early-diesel power on the big and small railroads of New Jersey; from the mid-1940s to the end of the 1950s. From the Baldwins to the Alcos; the steam-spewing Behemoths to the smooth-running RS series; this engaging collection of vintage photographs remembers a time filled with wonder and change. With nearly two hundred images; Steam to Diesel in New Jersey showcases the departing steam engines and the emerging diesels that ushered in a new period of railroad history.
#968266 in eBooks 2012-09-07 2012-09-07File Name: B00902DVW8
Review
48 of 51 people found the following review helpful. A not irresistible and rather convoluted biographyBy Agnes AndreaThe first 30 pages-or-so are rather startling: Ms. Monk goes on and on quoting Freud and Heidegger. and she doesnt fail to let us know that "[she] read lot of philosophy and psychoanalytic work"... supposedly to gain a better understanding of Joni Mitchells persona. but I definitely smell a certain dose of self-importance on the authors part.Afterwards. things do get a little better. The book is based on archive material. mostly old interviews. so its interesting enough - provided you havent already read it elsewhere. You get lots of info about Mitchells public persona. about her struggle with a male-dominated showbiz industry and the pros and cons of (and her coping with) fame and success. And yet the material is somehow bizarrely displayed. due to the unfortunate choice of going with a thematic rather than chronological criterion. So you get a chapter about main influences ("Gods and monsters"). a chapter about Ms. Mitchells sentimental relationships ("Love". of course) and so on. As a consequence of this criterion. you have in the first chapters a discussion over 1979 album "Mingus"; while a whole analysis of Ms. Mitchells formative years and her fascination with Nietzsche (and a REALLY weighty overview of his writings) is placed right in the middle of the book (!)As for Ms. Mitchells artistic achievements. they tend to remain in the background. and its here that the book seems mostly unbalanced. in my opinion. For instance. an album such as Ladies of the Canyon is barely acknowledged to exist as a whole. even if you do get about ten pages on the writing of song Woodstock alone. Other albums are merely acknowledged to exist; album "Night Ride Home" is not even mentioned. as if it never happened.All considered. I had the distinct impression that Ms. Monk wrote at length when she had a lot of archive material to draw from; when not. she merrily passed by. without much (if any) research of new insight.And this leads to what I think is the main problem of the book. The author didnt have access to Ms. Mitchell herself. since the artist wouldnt even consider talking to her. This I can understand. but the author doesnt seem to have made any attempt to talk to anyone who has worked. lived or has somehow been involved with Ms Mitchell. either.So theres no fresh input.Ms. Monk is obviously aware that this was "a huge problem". as she honestly (if rhetorically) asks herself in the introduction: "How do I add anything original to the already exhaustive amount of Joni material without any new Joni Mitchell musings?" Im afraid the answer is: she doesnt.My personal. final suggestion: anyone interested in Joni Mitchell might check out the Library on her official site [...]: theres an astonishing treasure trove of hundreds of articles and interviews. conveniently indexed by year. publication. author. type (interview/review) etc.Its constantly updated and its by far the best and most informative musician site Ive ever run into. so my highest praise to Ms. Mitchells site and those who run it.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. More About Joni The Person Than Her SongsBy Kevin S. ODonnellThis bio really does focus on Jonis creative side. as well as her artistic influences. It seems to read in a non-linear. academic fashion. with Joni writing about truth and the search for it. and herself. For those fans interested in her music material and how it was created. they may want to check out other books about Joni. In this last regard. I was a bit disappointed. Overall. though. it was an interesting read.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. PatchyBy Marian LeesAlthough I loved reading about Joni Mitchell I found this biography a bit patchy and too much about the artistic process and not enough biographical content. Although it was interesting to read about her influences I would have like to know more about what was happening in her life.
