Neither Snow nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service

This is a fascinating look at the history of the United States Postal Service. Full of interesting facts, figures, larger than life people and politics to screw it all up. I knew some things about the Post Office, but this book told so much more in such an entertaining manner. It was hard to put down. From the innovations of Ben Franklin, to the growth of serving the growing country, the constant hamstrings of Congress (the Post Office was formerly a Presidential Cabinet department), interlopers who Instituted ideas that the Post Office would later adopt, its all here. What can be found inside these pages? Rival businesses began adding drop boxes and using stamps before the Post Office began using them. Wells Fargo used to deliver mail and some packages in areas the Post Office didn't serve. Mail handlers used to sort mail in rail cars. My personal favorite, customers used to ship their children via parcel post! Yes, you read that right and there is a photo included. I showed this to the clerks at my local Post Office and they didn't know about this part of their history. The Post Office also ran the largest bank in the US for many years. Many of the problems and solutions are not new and have happened before. A wonderful, intriguing book and audio book that I highly recommend. Narration on the audio book was good, though there were many long pauses for breath which newer books don't have. With the terrible events that happened this year to the Post Office, I add Save the USPS!

The other day when I went to the post office to mail a package, I had little idea what kind of a tradition I was being a part of. Devin Leonard's book sheds light on this tradition. His book is an account of an essential American institution, one that also happens to be one of the largest, oldest and most efficient organizations in the world. Some of the statistics pertaining to the USPS are amazing: for instance it delivers more items in a week than FedEx does in a year, and every week 300,000 postal workers deliver 500 million pieces of mail around the nation. Essentially the USPS is responsible for 40 percent of the world's mail. Even with the advent of UPS, FedEx and the Internet, the post office is still a ubiquitous institution.The volume traces the history of the USPS through its founding by Benjamin Franklin who was the first postmaster general. During key historical events like the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, the post office served to rally the sensibilities of civic-minded citizens through the delivery of 'incendiary' material like abolitionist literature. Leonard talks about the growth of the post office across the emerging westward frontier in the 19th century, competition from private couriers (like Henry Wells who ultimately set up Well Fargo bank) which started as early as in the 1930s and the short-lived Pony Express which delivered mail from Missouri to California using a horse relay. Early postmen had to fight off Indian attacks and had to navigate harsh geographical territory to deliver email.There are amusing and interesting tidbits here: for instance, 'mailing' children reached alarming proportions before it was declared illegal. People also routinely tested the system by mailing fragile articles like eggs and fish. The book also does a good job laying out the social consequences of USPS policies. For instance rural free delivery which was started under Teddy Roosevelt's administration made it possible for farmers to know prices and the weather and freed them from rapacious customers and failed crops.The book also reveals a sometimes fascinating cast of characters. Among all government positions, the position of postmaster general is probably least known, but Leonard tells us how pioneering postmasters like John Wanamaker and James Farley (under the stamp-loving FDR) expanded the mandate of the post office, commissioned vivid murals and built post offices in far flung locations. A particularly entertaining character is Anthony Comstock who took it upon himself to stem the flow of prurient literature through the mail, and remarkably sought and acquired powers to arrest those guilty of this crime. In fact, efforts to stop pornographic material from making its way through the mail have always been periodic features of the evolution of the USPS, usually engendered by puritanical postmasters.One of the most readable parts of the book explores how intrepid (some would say foolhardy) pilots braved bad weather and primitive aircraft to prove that they could deliver mail faster than the railroad; some as early as only ten years after the Wright brothers's first flight. It's also interesting to note how the birth of the US Air Force can partially be traced to recognition of the poor quality of America's pilots and airplanes by way of airmail disasters.Unfortunately I thought the book got bogged down in too much detail in its latter half, even as it explored topics like competition by private mail delivery agents, the minutiae of legislative dealings between the USPS, unions and Congress, the great postal strike of 1970 which virtually brought the economy to a halt (attesting to the importance of the service) and occasional shootings by disgruntled postal employees that tarnished the image of the USPS. What would have sustained the interesting momentum in my opinion is stories of individual postmen and women, their triumphs and troubles and their dedication: one promising lead appears when the book talks about New York postmen stoically delivering mail even on 9/11, doing their duty and conveying a reassuring sense of continuity to a shell-shocked public. More such personal stories would have really enlivened the narrative. In addition I think there was a real opportunity to discuss more the logistics of the post office, all the myriad ways in which it deals with the stupendous amount of mail it receives every day.The book ends by noting that the only way the USPS has survived is by making pacts which would have been unthinkable a few decades ago: for instance it tells us that 40% of Amazon items are now carried by USPS, and most of its business now comes from junk mail. Budget cuts and losses continue to challenge its existence. But one thing the book makes clear is that whether it thrives or not, the USPS has been an integral part of the life of this country since its very beginnings. That's something worth thinking about the next time you step foot into your neighboring post office.

This book is nothing short of fantastic! Author Leonard has a well-documented and extremely well-written effort here. Jammed with fascinating facts and historical accounts of the USPS early days. He then traces the evolution of the Post Office Department through the early and mid-1800s, the Civil War and the establishment of home delivery, the rationale behind the creation of money orders, the foresight and derrings-do of various postmasters general, the determination and firm resolve to bring air mail service to America, rural free delivery and its pros and cons; in short, a cannot-put-down read of the growth of a nation and a postal service that kept pace with that growth. This book would be a superb gift for the American history or trivia buff or someone with even the merest interest in postal workings. You cannot go wrong with this one. Highly enjoyable reading; no dry, dull, boring stuff here. The USPS comes alive. Read. Enjoy. And learn a fact or two of a vital, most integral part of our country's history.

I can just imagine that many people will roll their eyes and say - "A history of the post office! Really?" Well, it actually is quite interesting. From the early days of few roads down through the jet age the post office has faced many challenges. These challenges ranged from from physical logistics, political interference, and competition. Enjoy!