A nuanced portrait of one of the greatest characters in twentieth-century literature. Based on the life of railway tycoon Charles Tyson Yerkes, the epic narrative spans from the aftermath of the Civil War to the Great Chicago Fire and the Panic of 1873. Both a glimpse of a fascinating period in American history and a timeless portrait of the dark side of human nature, this is the compelling tale the Wall Street Journal hailed as “the greatest of all American business novels . . . [with] an amazingly intricate description of high-rolling 19th-century finance.”  This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.