{"product_id":"9781250015051","title":"The Great American Railroad War: How Ambrose Bierce and Frank Norris Took On the Notorious Central Pacific Railroad","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow two of America's greatest authors took on the Central Railroad monopoly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe notorious Central Pacific Railroad riveted the attention of two great American writers: Ambrose Bierce and Frank Norris. In \u003ci\u003eThe Great American Railroad War,\u003c\/i\u003e Dennis Drabelle tells a classic story of corporate greed vs. the power of the pen. The Central Pacific Railroad accepted US Government loans; but, when the loans fell due, the last surviving founder of the railroad avoided repayment. Bierce, at the behest of his boss William Randolph Hearst, swung into action writing over sixty stinging articles that became a signal achievement in American journalism. Later, Norris focused the first volume of his trilogy, \u003ci\u003eThe Octopus,\u003c\/i\u003e on the freight cars of a thinly disguised version of the Central Pacific. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Great American Railroad War\u003c\/i\u003e is a lively chapter of US history pitting two of America's greatest writers against one of America's most powerful corporations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Readers with interests in western American history or the origins of today’s political quagmires will find much to relish. \" - \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"St. Martin's Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47127547117808,"sku":"9781250015051","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781250015051_p0.jpg?v=1769891086","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781250015051","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}