This book discusses the understanding of the “three emperors” 1821- 1874 of railways,administration of the railways in the early Guangxu period and the formation of a railway company after the Sino-Japan War of 1894-5, giving an overall view of railway affairs in the period and ending with Zhang Xiudong’s idea of building the Lu-Han (Beijng-Wuhan)railway. The book is centered on a comparison of Li Hung-chang and Liu Ming-chuan,who placed most importance on national defense, and Chang Chi-tung who emphasized economic development. The book is not long, but it does have a unique, in- depth analysis of the disputes in the early Qing over the building of China’s railways.