Now, in this gripping narrative, Jill Jonnes tells this fascinating story?a high-stakes drama that pitted the money and will of the nation's mightiest railroad against the corruption of Tammany Hall, the unruly forces of nature, and the machinations of labor agitators. In 1901, the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Alexander Cassatt, determined that it was technically feasible to build a system of tunnels connecting Manhattan to New Jersey and Long Island. Confronted by payoff-hungry politicians, brutal underground working conditions, and disastrous blowouts and explosions, it would take him nearly a decade to make Penn Station and its tunnels a reality. Set against the bustling backdrop of Gilded Age New York, "Conquering Gotham" will enthrall fans of David McCullough's "The Great Bridge" and Ron Chernow's "Titan."

    Thomas is excited, but some of the other engines are afraid of being so high. Can Thomas help them get over their fears–or will he become afraid, too?

    Little Pig is too small to go to sailing camp with his brothers and sisters, so his grandfather makes him a model ship, and together they sail it on the stream--until it gets carried away by the current, and Little Pig has to rescue the ship before it is wrecked.

    Their leader made what was, and may still be, the longest range kill with a 7.62mm rifle. For the first time ever they explain what it's like to kill a man and what it takes to become one of the elite.The tragic tale of Headhunter Two is altogether different. This four man sniper team from a regiment known within the Corps as the Magnificent Bastards was killed in 2004 in Ramadi, Iraq. Their deaths not only caused a reevaluation of sniper tactics and techniques, but created a desire for vengeance that was exacted nearly two years later in dramatic fashion.Based on hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews, Halberstadt gets inside the sniper mind and shows how they think and interact with each other, how missions are planned and executed, how the weapons work, and even what happens when a bullet finally strikes its target. There are only a few hundred snipers from all the services put together in combat at any one time, making this true inside story a rare and important event.Both a uniquely intimate look at what makes a sniper tick and a harrowing read filled with dramatic war tales, "Trigger Men" is a book about killers and killing, without apology and without remorse.

    And parking? Don't bet on it unless you're in the fast lane of the Capital Beltway during rush hour.Little wonder, then, that so many residents and visitors rely on the Washington Metro, the 106-mile rapid transit system that serves the District of Columbia and its inner suburbs. In the first comprehensive history of the Metro, Zachary M. Schrag tells the story of the Great Society Subway from its earliest rumblings to the present day, from Arlington to College Park, Eisenhower to Marion Barry.Unlike the pre–World War II rail systems of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the Metro was built at a time when most American families already owned cars, and when most American cities had dedicated themselves to freeways, not subways. Why did the nation's capital take a different path? What were the consequences of that decision?Using extensive archival research as well as oral history, Schrag argues that the Metro can be understood only in the political context from which it was born: the Great Society liberalism of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. The Metro emerged from a period when Americans believed in public investments suited to the grandeur and dignity of the world's richest nation. The Metro was built not merely to move commuters, but in the words of Lyndon Johnson, to create "a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community."Schrag scrutinizes the project from its earliest days, including general planning, routes, station architecture, funding decisions, land-use impacts, and the behavior of Metro riders. The story of the Great Society Subway sheds light on the development of metropolitan Washington, postwar urban policy, and the promises and limits of rail transit in American cities.

    Using glorious, colorful graphics, Mark Ovenden traces the history of mass transit-including rare and historic maps, diagrams, and photographs, some available for the first time since their original publication. Transit Maps is the graphic designer's new bible, the transport enthusiast's dream collection, and a coffee-table essential for everyone who's ever traveled in a city.

    Directly in the ship’s path was the Sunshine Skyway Bridge--two ribbons of concrete, steel, and asphalt that crossed fifteen miles of open bay.  Suddenly, a violent weather cell reduced visibility to zero at the precise moment when Lerro attempted to direct the 20,000-ton vessel underneath the bridge. Unable to stop or see where he was going, Lerro drove the ship into a support pier; the main span splintered and collapsed 150 feet into the bay. Seven cars and a Greyhound bus fell over the broken edge and into the churning water below. Thirty-five people died.Skyway tells the entire story of this horrific event, from the circumstances that led up to it through the years-long legal proceedings that followed. Through personal interviews and extensive research, Bill DeYoung pieces together the harrowing moments of the collision, including the first-person accounts of witnesses and survivors. Among those whose lives were changed forever was Wesley MacIntire, the motorist whose truck ricocheted off the hull of the Summit Venture and sank. Although he was the lone survivor, MacIntire, like Lerro, was emotionally scarred and remained haunted by the tragedy for the rest of his life. Similarly, DeYoung details the downward spiral of Lerro’s life, his vilification in the days and weeks that followed the accident, and his obsession with the tragedy well into his painful last years. DeYoung also offers a history of the ill-fated bridge, from its construction in 1954, through the addition of a second parallel span in 1971, to its eventual replacement. He discusses the sinking of a Coast Guard cutter a mere three months before Skyway collapsed and the Department of Transportation’s dire warnings about the bridge’s condition. The result is a vividly detailed portrait of the rise and fall of a Florida landmark.

    Everything's fine when the cars are just full of talking yaks and singing acrobats, but adding two packs of elephants -- not to mention the ducks dancing in the aisles! -- is enough to create pure mayhem. But Driver Zach is a very patient man...until a pair of pesky little mice climbs on board and then everything really goes haywire!

    Each spread combines an illustration and a texture with simple text to develop sensory and language awareness. A first book for babies and toddlers which encourages interactive play.

    Clickety-clack. Choo, choo! Race down the tracks with this colorful book all about trains.In this fun nonfiction picture book, Gail Gibbons introduces the youngest readers to all kinds of trains.Featuring powerful locomotives, huge tanker cars, and boxcars full of cargo-- and many other types of trains-- this is a kid-friendly way to learn the ins and outs of trains, their parts, and why we ride them.For even young readers, don't miss the board book edition!

    From shiny London St. Pancras, Tom travels to places that wouldn't be featured on a standard holiday wish-list, and discovers the hidden delights of mysterious Luxembourg, super-trendy Rotterdam, and much-maligned Frankfurt. It's 186 mph all the way—well, apart from a power cut in the Channel Tunnel on the way to Antwerp.

    He runs through a field and rattles across a bridge. Clickety-clack! Rattly-tat! Then he climbs a mountain and races by the river. Clumpety-clip! Zippety-zoom! Oh, no! Now he's gone too far. Will Little Train recall what his mother and father said about finding his way home? With a nod to beloved classics such as The Little Engine That Could, here is a celebration of independence and parental reassurance that is sure to chug its way into the hearts of little readers everywhere.

    They would surf, climb mountains, and tour the country in their amazing camper. Gramps just made everything extra special. But after Gramps died, granddad hasn't felt like traveling anymore. So, their amazing granddaughter comes up with a clever plan to fix up the old camper and get Grandad excited to explore again.This beautiful picture book honors love and reminds us not only to remember those we have lost, but to celebrate them.

    But he can't do that anymore.Can Eliot and El Capitán discover a real adventure... together?Come find out! All aboard The Greatest Adventure!

    There are bridges to cross, tunnels to travel through, and mountains to climb so kids can hop on board before the whistle blows.Told in simple words from a little boy’s point of view, this spot-on picture book celebrates a child’s world of adventure and love of transportation vehicles.