Railroaded
A Motorman's Story of the New York City Subway
$77.90
- Hardcover
274 pages
- Release Date
14 April 2026
Summary
The New York City subway system is one of the largest and oldest in the world, still carrying traces of the transport systems that came before it. Some of its elevated tracks are remnants of steam railroads, and some tunnels run where canoes served as ferries. For passengers, riding the subway can feel like stepping into another world, dark and dank and sometimes dangerous. Now just imagine what it’s like to work there every day.
One of the few subway workers who went on to earn a PhD…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781978844094 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1978844093 |
| Author: | Fred S. Naiden |
| Publisher: | Rutgers University Press |
| Imprint: | Rutgers University Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 274 |
| Release Date: | 14 April 2026 |
| Weight: | 481g |
| Dimensions: | 25mm x 140mm x 216mm |
You Can Find This Book In
Critics Review
“A compelling, colorful book. An instant classic of labor and transportation history.” - Library Journal, starred review
“Blending memoir with institutional history, this fast-paced, edifying account elicits fresh appreciation for the workers who keep New York City moving. It’s a ride worth taking.” - Publishers Weekly
“A vivid, ground-level, often funny view of what it was like to work on the New York City subway during the 1980s, when underfunding and neglect led to startling levels of decay and chaos, and what it was like to live in the pre-gentrified city. Along the way, motorman-turned-historian Fred Naiden provides a rich, iconoclastic history of New York mass transit.” - Joshua B. Freeman, author of In Transit: The Transport Workers Union in New York City, 1933–1966
“A gripping, often heartbreaking account of transit workers working in the tunnels under New York City, moving millions of souls each day. Fred Naiden worked on the New York subways as a young man, and Railroaded is a memoir of the deplorable conditions he and thousands of others worked in, combined with a sardonic history of the crazy quilt of subway lines that never quite became a system.” - Jack Metzgar, author of Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered
“A fascinating insider’s view of a vital and dangerous profession.” - The Wall Street Journal
”[Naiden] lyrically recount[s] the lousy working conditions, colorful passengers, and union fights to protect transit workers.” - Working-Class Studies Association
Fred S. Naiden
Fred S. Naiden, formerly New York City Transit Authority Employee #4046, is now professor emeritus of history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His many books include Ancient Supplication (2006), Smoke Signals for the Gods (2012), and Soldier, Priest, and God: A Life of Alexander the Great (2018).
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.