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>On Chariots with Horses of Fire and Iron
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Publisher:
Year:
2009
Catalog number :
45-005243
ISBN:
978-965-7755-52-5
Pages:
236
Language:

On Chariots with Horses of Fire and Iron

The Excursionists and the Narrow Gauge Railroad from Jaffa to Jerusalem

Synopsis

This book deals with the arrival of modernity in the Holy Land in the form of the 86 km Jaffa-Jerusalem Railway. Befitting the completion of such a substantial undertaking, the inauguration, in September 1892, was a grand affair, attended by representatives of the Ottoman Empire, consuls, religious leaders, and foreign delegations. The tracks approached Jerusalem from the southwest through the Judean Mountains, taking advantage of the deep, winding river bed of the Soreq Valley. This afforded the least steep route, though even then the grades were a challenge for the locomotives. Since the tracks were of narrow meter-gauge they could easily follow the natural contours of the land on the ascent to Jerusalem, the highest point, at about 700 meters above sea level. .

The railroad was the largest civil engineering project ever undertaken in the modern Holy Land. It was built to exploit the tremendous growth of pilgrim traffic and tourism during the second half of the nineteenth century. Though several proposals had been put forward since the 1850s, it was only in the 1880s that two young Jewish entrepreneurs, Joseph Navon of Jerusalem and Joseph Amzalak of Jaffa, backed by the Protestant banker Johannes Frutiger, were enabled to take the first steps leading to the acquisition of a license from the Ottoman government for laying down the iron rails. Unable to raise sufficient capital in Europe, Navon sold the license to a group of Catholic businessmen in Paris, who established the Société du Chemin de Fer Ottoman de Jaffa à Jérusalem et Prolongements. When the first locomotive was tested on a short length of track at Jaffa half the population turned up to witness the event, such was the novelty of the sight and sounds of the horse of fire and iron. Despite difficulties due to the low cost of construction and poor traffic during the early years, the railroad opened up Jerusalem to modern tourism, brought greater numbers of pilgrims, and contributed to the growth of the city. It also delivered fresh water in times of drought.

This is the most thoroughly researched publication ever to appear on the first railroad in the Holy Land. Moreover, it relies extensively on the one resource that best captures the spirit of the Jaffa-Jerusalem Railway: magnificent photographs, mainly taken between 1891 and 1914. These early photographs, gathered from archives in Israel, the United States, England and Germany, are supplemented with those taken by British forces from December 1917 on, from Israel, Australia and England, and a number of color images dating from the mid-1980s.

Details of locomotives and rolling stock, maps, tables of statistics, track plans, extensive notes, a bibliography, and index are included. The intended audiences, apart from general readers and railway enthusiasts, are historical geographers, historians of the Holy Land in modern times, and transport and tourism historians.

Reviews

"Anthony Travis… provides a lively, illustrated account of the development of this railroad that survived despite poor construction and inadequate traffic. … This little-known chapter of Israel’s history will interest train buffs as well as historians" - Jewish Book World, November 2009

"…In this fascinating and meticulously researched book, Anthony S. Travis presents not only the history of the railroad itself, but also the social background, descriptions of early tours to Jerusalem and the conditions endured by intrepid travellers" - The Jerusalem Post, by Sybil Ehrlich, February 2009

"...The focus is on the earlier years of the railway, up to the early days of the British Mandate, with a brief look at Israel Railways today. The language is non-technical, and there is plenty of social history to appeal even to those who have no particular interest in railways." - The Jerusalem Post, by Sybil Ehrlich, February 2009

"…it will become the basis for further studies of the Jaffa-Jerusalem Railroad. It provides important information on the stations, the locomotives, and the rolling stock, as well as detailed data about the line itself. This information is accompanied by excellent illustrations, diagrams, and charts." - Technology and Culture, by Peter Mentzel, July 2009

"While scholarly in its coverage in dealing with the geo-political conditions applying to Ottoman Palestine, it remains highly readable" - Railway Magazine, February 2009

"...a magnificent book...", "...This is THE definitive book on this subject. I cannot recommend it highly enough."- Rabbi Dr. Walter Rothschild. Editor of 'Harakevet', March 2009

"…an absorbing read…" - Narrow Gauge World No 61, by David Joy, January-February 2009

"…a beautifully designed book... I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I had never heard of the Jaffa-Jerusalem railroad, and am pleased that the publisher in Israel thought of the GAZETTE when sending out review copies". - Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette, by Bob Brown, Sept/Oct 2008

"This substantial book deals in detail with the Jerusalem – Jaffa narrow gauge line… … The book contains splendid period photos, some spread over two pages" - Recommended, Lawson Little, Narrow Gauge News, September 2008

"Historians looking at this book might think it written for railway enthusiasts. The latter, looking at its colourful title and subtitle, might feel that it is a work of travel literature. Tony Travis has succeeded in catering to both types of reader, precisely by combining contemporary impressions with technical detail" - Palestine Exploration Quarterly 141, by Michael Schwartz, March 2009

"I commend this book to anyone who has both an interest in railways and the land of Palestine/Israel as this will be a fascinating insight into how railways have been conceived and developed in one of the most challenging situations on the planet." - The National Railway Museum Journal UK, No. 128, by Ian R Shritit, Summer 2009