Don L. HofsommerJohn Frank Stevens: Civil Engineer (Railroads Past and Present)

I enjoyed this book, Stevens was a hard worker .

A very interesting book on a man who worked on more engineering projects than I ever imagined. Some of the projects he worked on included the Canadian Pacific Rwy, Great Northern Railroad, and the Rock Island Railroad. Later on he worked on the Panama Canal when it was being built as well as the construction of Trans-Siberian Railroad in Russia around the time of World War I and the Russian Revolution.

Good compilation of information on Stevens along with sources, especially later years including involvement in Russia before and after the Bolshevik revolution.

John Frank Stevens is not a household name. But following the publication of Clifford Foust's book, "John Frank Stevens - Civil Engineer," you begin to understand why it should be. Stevens' long and varied engineering career took him from America's great western railroads to the Panama Canal and to Russia. Foremost a railroad man, he emerged from the fields of rural Maine to leave his mark on some of the world's construction marvels. He should always be remembered as the man who saved the U.S.'s Panama Canal project from failure in the early 20th century. Stevens figured that before you could dig the big ditch, you had to have a functioning rail system to transport men and materiel in and out. A simple concept to be sure, but one critical to success of Theodore Roosevelt's dream of uniting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Meticulously researched, Foust's engaging portrait of Stevens and his career is a must read for those wishing to appreciate an unsung American hero.