Review
"This very succinct and persuasive account of railway development in the second half of the 19th century validates an older view that the economic impact of the railroads was substantially less than had been predicted." Choice
"This welcome addition to the growing English-language literature on nineteenth-century Italy brings together a great deal of material on the interrelations of the State, the railways, and the economy." Stefano Fenoaltea, Jrnl of Eco Hist
"...this volume is an excellent survey about the transport history of the nineteenth century." Stefano Maggi, American Historical Review
Book Description
This book relates the history of Italian railways and their relation with the Italian state from the 1840s, when the first lines were constructed, until nationalization in 1905. The effects of railway legislation are assessed, and various socio-economic indicators for the Italian regions are analyzed. It is shown that railways contributed little to the economic unification of Italy, and that any positive effects were felt mostly in the twentieth century. During the nineteenth century and the process of unification, it is argued that railways had a pernicious and divisive influence on Italian political life.
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