In the spring of 1860, on the eve of a civil war that threatened to tear the country apart, two Americans imagined a daring project to connect the country's two coasts, thus linking its present to its future. All that stood in the way was a 1,900-mile uninhabited desert, ice-capped mountains, ocean plains roamed by hostile Indian tribes, rivers choked with rushing water, and a wild, untamed frontier where civilized men were outnumbered. than a million to one. grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves, bison, rattlesnakes and much more. Many considered their revolutionary project impossible. Run by the Central Overland California and the Pikes Peak Express Company, the Pony Express, as it came to be known, would use a daring relay system. riders to transport mail and small packages across a continent in just ten days.
The challenges they faced were enormous, but the Pony Express succeeded, delivering tens of thousands of letters at record speed. The service would quickly become the most direct means of communication between the Eastern United States and its western territories, helping to firmly connect them to the Union. West Like Lightning traces the development of the Pony Express and follows it from its beginnings in St. Joseph, Missouri, to the edge of the civilized world in the mid-19th century, 1,500 miles west to Sacramento. Jim DeFelice, who has traveled the path of the Express in his research, explores the legends, myths and true facts of the service, placing it in the context of American history and exploring its relevance today. Although the Pony Express was eclipsed by the telegraph in less than two years, it remains today an enduring symbol of American values: rugged individualism, perseverance, and speed.
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