Interesting history, with a lot of history and interpretation I knew nothing about. Particularly fascinated by the connection between the railroad construction and the end of the Civil War. And the meticulous detail on the corruption and bribery and outright theft conducted by the railroad companies. My main complaint was the book felt a bit repetitive in the middle, like I was reading the 15th vignette about the same construction problem or corrupt business practice. Which may be true to the facts, but it made the book a bit of a slog.