{"product_id":"0385658419-the_last_spike_the_great_railway-1881-1885","title":"The Last Spike: The Great Railway, 1881-1885","description":"\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the four years between 1881 and 1885, Canada was forged into one nation by the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. \u003ci\u003eThe Last Spike\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDominating 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eCategories:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistory\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmericas\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCanada\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\u003cli class=\"category-tree\"\u003e19th Century\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n","brand":"Anchor Canada","offers":[{"title":"Used - Very Good","offer_id":46679757488318,"sku":"0385658419-3","price":18.47,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0640\/9689\/5166\/files\/71U3v13YJ3L.jpg?v=1777055590","url":"https:\/\/shop.sustainablebooks.com\/products\/0385658419-the_last_spike_the_great_railway-1881-1885","provider":"Sustainable Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}