Built around one trip (of many) one way on the California Zephyr (Amtrak style) from Chicago to Oakland, this is far more than what can be seen looking out the window. The author burrows down to include the ambitions and performance of the crew, both the train crews and the service crews. Along the way, the author includes much detail about the railroads involved, local color on many stops, and the people he travels with. ( )

This book is a piece of living history like the Zephyr itself. This particular e-book edition has been updated with prologues and epilogues for 2015 which nicely bring a 1994 book into the present. I also like the newer photographs and that he dated all so you had an idea from which trip they came. My only issue reading this on the Kindle is that I know the photos must have otherwise been so much better.

The author is an established writer and the book is very well written. In some chapters, his inner railfan begins to leak out and there's a little too much detail provided for a more mainstream train aficionado. I loved his description of the scenery-both what he saw with his own eyes and the pieces of history he shared as he passed the places and towns where they happened.

Like many such books, the most fun parts were the people he met and, in some cases, shadowed. I liked the in depth profiles and found myself wishing I could meet Lela, Mike, Ray, Chris, etc. I love that the contemporary epilogue updated readers on these people.

A solid read for people who enjoy train travel and a good look at the Amtrak of the late 20th century.

Highball Number Five! ( )

I felt offended by Kisor's many derogatory remarks about people who smoke. Otherwise an interesting travel story from a deaf person. A good read for all train fans. ( )

I love trains! I have taken almost every Amtrak train in the country and many in Europe. Kisor writes about taking the California Zephyr and his experiences as a deaf person. If you ever get a chance to take this train, do it. It travels over two mountain ranges and through some of the most magnificent scenery in the world. There is nothing better than listening to a book and watching gorgeous scenery go by.

In fact, as I write this, I am traveling east on the California Zephyr through one of the beautiful red canyons in this area, (this one named after Dr. Wallace Debeck, the only physician practicing between Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction in the territory of the Yutte Indians) climbing into the Rocky Mountains out of Grand Junction, Colorado on what is the most gorgeous scenic train trip in the United States. The train follows the Colorado River for about two hundred miles along the edges of cliffs as it climbs to the Moffit Tunnel at the highest point of any railroad in the United States at some 9,000 feet. My laptop is playing Sibelius Symphony #5 into earphones as I type, or listen to a recorded book on CD compressed to MP3 format so I can squeeze an entire book into a series of files on the laptop.

Next to me is a stack of books brought along for nighttime or non-scenic desert. A can of Coke is within easy reach. The only thing missing is a grand thunderstorm or blizzard and wireless access to the Internet. I suppose I could simulate the weather on the laptop. Wonderful stuff, technology. It just gets better and better.

This should be a must trip for everyone. You come away with extraordinary awe for what the pioneers accomplished. We have a terrific book written about this trip. It just doesn't get any better than this. If I get lucky we'll run really late and get some extra time for free. ( )