Ways of the World: A History of the World's Roads and of the Vehicles That Used Them

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Rutgers University Press, Jan 30, 1999 - History - 401 pages

This is the first comprehensive history of the world's roads, highways, bridges, and the people and vehicles that traverse them, from prehistoric times to the present. Encyclopedic in its scope, fascinating in its details, Ways of the World is a unique work for reference and browsing. Maxwell Lay considers the myriad aspects of roads and their users: the earliest pathways, the rise of wheeled vehicles and animals to pull them, the development of surfaced roads, the motives for road and bridge building, and the rise of cars and their influence on roads, cities, and society. The work is amply illustrated, well indexed and cross-referenced, and includes a chronology of road history and a full bibliography.

It is indispensable for anyone interested in travel, history, geography, transportation, cars, or the history of technology.


 

Contents

Introduction
1
The Demands of Transport
19
Roadways
43
Motives and Management
93
A Surge of Power
121
Power in the Road
167
Pavements
203
Bridges
253
From the Past into the Future
299
Terminology for Road Pavements
333
Notes
353
References
361
Index
379
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