In the late 19th century, the competition to rule the rails pitted Civil War hero William J. Palmer against William Barstow Strong, manager of the Santa Fe Railway. As John Sedgwick recounts here, these aspiring moguls battled in the courtroom and in the press, even resorting to spies and private armies, but by century's end one man was forgotten while the other helped to turn a backwater known as Los Angeles into a metropolis.

"A riveting account…. It's a great read, full of colorful characters and outrageous confrontations." —George R.R. Martin