I was expecting something different from this book. If I had remembered more of what when on in high school I wouldn't have. I was expecting and wanted to read about the actual laying of the track and the trials and tribulations and I was expecting to read about the people that actually did the work. Instead the book was about the politics behind the railway and getting the financing for it. It was slow going and way more information that I "needed/wanted" - educational though and I'm glad I read it to learn (and possibly retain) some Canadian history.