"Zephyr" now an updated ebook

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Henry Kisor

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If I may be permitted a blatant commercial announcement: My 1994 book "Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America" has been updated with new photographs and a new epilogue and republished in Kindle and Nook ebook formats. (Other formats are on the way.) Details are at LINK.

This forum was invaluable in the updating process, and I thank all those who helped.
 
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Henry Kisor said:
If I may be permitted a blatant commercial announcement: My 1994 book "Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America" has been updated with new photographs and a new epilogue and republished in Kindle and Nook ebook formats. (Other formats are on the way.) Details are at www.henrykisor.com.

This forum was invaluable in the updating process, and I thank all those who helped.
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Bought it! Haven't downloaded it on my Nook yet. I read your book "Season's Revenge" and loved it.
 
The interesting thing about the Burlington Pioneer Zyphyr is the 13 hour 5 minute "Dawn to Dusk" run from Denver to Chicago. The average speed was only 77 MPH but the train did hit 112 MPH on a few sections of the route. That time over 80 years later, has never been duplicated. Amtrak now takes 43 hours (nearly two full days) to do the same trip. Talk about progress!
 
Henry: Could you give an estimate as to what percentage of the new book is new material?

I'm looking forward to reading it in any case, but since I recently re-read the original (within the last year)I may wait a while and savor the entire experience a little more...
 
Thanks to all.

Maybe 9-10 per cent of the book is new material, mostly in the Epilogue that tells about the changes since 1991-92. About half the photos are new ones.

Google Play Books: I haven't yet gotten that far. The book's out for the Kindle and Nook, and I need to prepare it for Apple iBooks, Kobo and Sony Reader.
 
I've purchased the Kindle version. Now I have to decide whether to read it now, or wait until the fall and read it on the CZ on my way to the Gathering...decisions, decisions!
 
Thanks Henry!

I'm waiting for the iBook version to put on my iPhone and/or iPad. Any idea of a timeline?
huh.gif
 
It will be a month or so before an iBook version is ready. But you can read it right now on your iPad or iPhone if you download the free Kindle app for the iPad/iPhone and buy the book from Amazon Kindle. There's also a free Nook app so you can read Nook ebooks on the same devices.
 
I guess advertizing does pay as I just bought a copy for my Nook. Price seems reasonable too.

One small question for the author so I can get it right when talking to friends, do you pronounce your last name the same as the famous old industrialist?

Looking forward to a good read.
 
jebr said:
Denver to Chicago is 43 hours on the Zephyr? I thought it was closer to 17-18 hours (the full distance might be 43, though.)

Also, is the book planned for Google Play Books?
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I meant the current Amtrak travel time to get from Chicago to Denver is 43 hours. Passenger rail travel has really hit the skids. Its slow, the equipment is old and breaking down, and worst of all, nobody cares but for a few rail travelers.
 
dlagrua said:
jebr said:
Denver to Chicago is 43 hours on the Zephyr? I thought it was closer to 17-18 hours (the full distance might be 43, though.)

Also, is the book planned for Google Play Books?
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I meant the current Amtrak travel time to get from Chicago to Denver is 43 hours. Passenger rail travel has really hit the skids. Its slow, the equipment is old and breaking down, and worst of all, nobody cares but for a few rail travelers.
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CHI to DEN is less than 24 hours. You leave CHI at 2pm and arrive at DEN around 7 or 8 am the next day.
 
I'm very glad for this 'commercial", I bought it last night and started reading straight away - only read10% so far according to my kindle but I'm enjoying it so much! It was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, having previously read USA by Rail a bunch of times, and traced the route on maps, the personal detail in Zephr is great. I'm travelling on the CZ out of Chicago in July and this is going to make that trip so much more special. And I'm already nodding and smiling to myself at some of the observations in it, things I've noticed on my previous Amtrak trips. Thank you.
 
I meant the current Amtrak travel time to get from Chicago to Denver is 43 hours. Passenger rail travel has really hit the skids. Its slow, the equipment is old and breaking down, and worst of all, nobody cares but for a few rail travelers.
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As others have said on the thread, the travel time from Chicago to Denver is 18 hours. Admittedly the train is sometimes a few hours late, but not 43 hours.

While rail travel is underfunded in the US and the system under-used, there's no need to exaggerate its plight. My last ride on the CZ was very pleasant indeed, the train was in excellent condition and we had an on-time arrival into Denver. My train was sold out -- every seat in coach and every sleeper taken. I met rail travelers from all walks of life, all ages, and several nationalities. I saw the renovations going on in Denver's Union Station.

Of course, we live in difficult times for rail travel following decades of underinvestment. The dining car was notably understaffed, and the servers did a great job when they were obviously overworked with a full train. Some of the grand old station buildings on the line are closed, like Grand Junction. At one point we had to wait an hour for the eastbound CZ to pass us because parts of the route are single-track. But we made up the time, and it was a great experience over all. Rail travel is still a pleasure in the US. There's no need to quote false statistics or false information.
 
I just bought this on my Nook and I'm waiting to read it until I get on the LSL this Sunday (Hey, not the Zephyr, bu an LD train nonetheless). From what I've heard, the author's writing is amazing, and I am asking you, Henry Kisor, if there are any other books by you or other authors with a similar background or just any train book you like in particular. Anybody else may answer though if you have something I'm looking for (generally more informational than anything else). I can;t wait to start raving about the book once I read it!
 
johnny.menhennet said:
I just bought this on my Nook and I'm waiting to read it until I get on the LSL this Sunday (Hey, not the Zephyr, bu an LD train nonetheless). From what I've heard, the author's writing is amazing, and I am asking you, Henry Kisor, if there are any other books by you or other authors with a similar background or just any train book you like in particular. Anybody else may answer though if you have something I'm looking for (generally more informational than anything else). I can;t wait to start raving about the book once I read it!
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The novelist Paul Theroux ("Riding the Iron Rooster" is my favorite of his) has written a number of books involving train travel. They are highly literary and highly subjective (he's kind of cranky) but I think he's the best out there. You might also try E.M. Frimbo and Lucius Beebe in the library.
 
I bought the book yesterday for the Kindle app on my tablet. I've read two chapters so far and love it! Thanks for releasing this revised version, Henry!

Dan
 
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