Iron Empires: Robber Barons, The Railroads, and the Making of Modern America

Iron Empires tells the story of the men who created the all-important nationwide railroad system that spread across the country during the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century - a time where industrialisation accelerated, fortunes were made and squandered, and the ruthless robber barons of the United States pursued wealth and power by any means necessary. Two of the giants of the age, J.P. Morgan and E.H. Harriman, fought for primacy of the all-important railways and remade American industry in the process. Their conflict culminated in the greatest and most controversial corporate takeover battle in American history as Morgan and Harriman jostled over the Northern Pacific railroad. The nationwide securities market would be shaken to its core, and thousands of investors would see their fortunes eradicated as collateral damage in this titanic struggle for supremacy. Featuring a glittering and colourful cast of con men, tycoons and Wall Street operators, Iron Empires tells the story of how the Morgan-Harriman war turned railroads into an industry and, in the process, defined an age.